Hard to believe that some pundits are spinning the SCOTUS opening as good news for the GOP.  Even our beloved cable talking heads aren't this dumb, and they shouldn't assume we are either.

Obama is going to choose a respectable center-left jurist for the seat - he will be sure to pick someone who rankles some progressives, and his media team will insure that pushback from the left gets some play.  It's a good bet that he will choose someone whose name is already out there, so some positive public & journalist opinion is already formed on them.

The Republicans are going to make this a cause celebre just as they did the stimulus - every elected Republican must vote to filibuster the nominee or face expulsion.  It's just not conceivable that they will approach this in any other way (at least unless David Addington is the nominee).

The filibuster will fail, and the Republicans will end up with an even more angry and energized radical base, fewer moderates and an even more marginalized position with the mainstream electorate.  And then the whole media cycle on their future will start over again.