The Supreme Court is making its customary cameo as a presidential campaign issue. But this time a rarely heard question is being asked: Does the election's outcome really matter so much for the Court? Advocates on both sides say it does -- but, given the current Court's seeming moderation, the prospect of confirmation gridlock and the near-mythical power of stare decisis and high court tradition, others are wondering whether new justices could, or would, greatly alter the Court's direction.