Harriet Miers: Is it All About Abortion? 

Harriet Miers: Is it All About Abortion?

Two views impress me the most:

1. Bush and Rove may be determined to prevent Roe v. Wade from being overturned. If it were overturned, there would be tough fights on abortion in many states, and this could split the Republican Party between social conservatives and economic conservatives. Both Roberts and Miers may be part of this strategy. (Ezra Klein on Tapped).

2. Miers is a stealth candidate--on the social issues, and abortion in particular. She may not have much authority to persuade other members of the Court, but a vote is a vote. (Garance Franke-Ruta more recently on the same blog). See also John Dickerson on Slate: the all-important voice of James Dobson, and Ms. Miers' church in Texas.