Though Sotamayor is obviously highly qualified and having another woman (the third in all) and Hispanic would be a plus in terms of the diversity of the court, I think it would be poetically ironic if the Republicans could successfully block her appointment to the court. That would clear the way for Obama to nominate a true progressive, in the vein of Thurgood Marshall, in her place. Just as Harriet Miers (sp?) turned out to be a sort of sacrificial lamb for Dubya so he could put another true corporatist right-wing activist ideologue on the court, Sotamayor could draw the fire of both the Right and the far Left and give Obama license to name someone who truly is a left-leaning activist.
The court right now is not populated with either true "strict constructionists" or moderates. If at least 4 of the 5 justices are clearly ideologues on the right, why try to temper their power by putting more "moderates" on the court?