Geography, gender or political party didn't matter; voters kept easterners, westerners, men, women, Republicans and Democrats.
This despite grassroots efforts to re-awaken awareness in the normally sleepy retention process by urging "no" votes, especially for Saylor, in an attempt to duplicate the ouster of former Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro two years ago.
The intent was to continue punishing the high court for its involvement in pay-raise politics and to send a message that pay-raise anger lives.
Apparently it does not.
The pitchfork rebellions of '05 and '06, when irate voters, especially in western and central counties, defeated incumbents - ousting legislative leaders, a total of two-dozen lawmakers and a Supreme Court justice - might well be passing into history.
And so might Republican control of the state courts.
Two Democrats, Philly's Seamus McCaffery and Pittsburgh's Debra Todd, both state Superior Court judges, appeared headed for victory in races for two open Supreme Court seats.
With 80 percent of the statewide vote tallied, McCaffery was the top vote-getter and Todd had a 100,000- vote lead on the closest Republican, Maureen Lally-Green.
Wins by McCaffery and Todd would tilt the political balance of the high court from 4-3 Republican to 4-3 Democrat after January swearing-ins, assuming Gov. Rendell uses his appointment to replace retiring Chief Justice Ralph Cappy with another Democrat.
A party shift also looked possible on state Superior Court, where the GOP was holding an 8-7 edge and where three seats were up for grabs.
But late last night the race, which includes Philly Judge John Milton Younge, was too close to call.
