The republican campaign against Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court appointment was not intended to block her confirmation but to set the stage for future nomination battles, particularly those which could be "game changers."
Here are the ages of current justices:
Ruth Bader Ginsberg - 77
Antonin Scalia - 74
Anthony Kennedy - 73
Stephen Breyer - 71
Clarence Thomas - 62
Samuel Alito - 60
Sonia Sotomayor - 56
John Roberts (Chief Justice) - 55
Elena Kagan (pending) - 50
Among justices in their 70s, if Ginsberg or Breyer leave the court, Obama’s replacement would not likely alter its alignment. But if strict conservative Scalia or swing conservative Kennedy departs, republicans would go to war against the president's pick.
Depending on the makeup of the senate after the 2010 election, republicans could certainly use the filibuster to block a liberal appointment such as Sotomayor or Kagan.
Therefore, the results of the 36 senate contests on November 2 may determine the direction of the nation’s highest court for decades to come.