Few things done in Washington have as much lasting importance as the choice of a new member of the Supreme Court. Yet the process is part Kabuki theater, part internal dialog -- in short, a ritual without spectacle. Senators ask predictable and well-practiced questions they usually know the answer to (unless the subject is an obscure TV episode), trying to elicit responses that will support the vote they've already decided to make. Nominees give predictable and well-practiced answers that reveal as little as possible about where they'll come down on the most contentious legal issues of our time. Everyone tries to sound reasonable, which means they rarely sound interesting.

But if you had to pick a star of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's hearings this week at the Senate Judiciary Committee, who would it be? Pick from our list below, or vote for "Other" and write in your choice in the comments field.

Updated, Aug. 19: Looks like the Times' online publishing system has deleted the poll because it was more than 30 days old. Nothing to see here people, move along....

-- Jon Healey