It is the job of the Senate to follow the Constitution. It is clarely their duty to give the nominee a hearing. Scalia would have to have ruled that way, it was clearly what the Founders meant.
Oh?
The founders definitely wanted the citizens to have strong influence on the political process.
When the people are alarmed at unified party actions , they vote in divided government.
Putting the brakes on the Obama program is a lot more popular with the public than letting the Democrats enact the full platform.
For two years President Obama had the Democratic Senate to help him, I think his choices during that time were such that divided government looked good to most people.