"He is a smart man... He is a good man. I believe he sees where the tide is going."

"I do trust him. I absolutely trust that he will go in a good direction."

So says Jean Podrasky, who is: 1. a lesbian who wants to marry her partner, 2. the cousin of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and 3. going to be sitting — at tomorrow's oral argument on same-sex marriage — in the section reserved for family and guests.

I wonder who else will be seated in that section? I'll bet it will be full of people who support same-sex marriage. Of all the family and friends of the Justices, able to get these reserved seats, who would ask to attend this session? The Ted Olson fans? I'm sure there are those.

Podrasky doesn't claim to know Roberts's views on the matter, and I'm sure he wouldn't like to be thought of as someone who decides cases based on where "he sees the tide is going." Even if he were a tide man, one could just as well stand back and let the tide go there on its own.

Same-sex marriage will win whichever way the Court goes. Its opponents can only lose. Which way would they prefer to lose?