Blackmun, Stevens, O’Connor and Souter were four GOP nominees that were nothing like what the GOP expected them to be.
O’Connor was a true swing vote (who sometimes voted GOP interests (Bush v. Gore)). The other three became liberal stalwarts. Rehnquist would have loved to be in Roberts’ position.
Roberts is an exquisite snake, in some interesting ways much worse than Rehnquist, who at least owned his prejudices. Roberts' obsession with being seen as the keeper of the Court's neutrality and reputation for fairness has made him truly postmodern in his corruption.