If Roe is overturned, it would be a testament to this unified effort and a reminder that there is value in doing the methodical work of building within institutions. But if it is upheld, it will blow up the last vestige of unity that exists among the competing factions of modern conservatism.

If the Court were to uphold Roe, it will move many more conservatives into the outcome-driven camp. Instead of seeking judges who promise to strictly adhere to the Constitution and are vague on specifics, there will be a movement to pick judges who will explicitly commit to ruling the way conservatives want on a litany of issues.

A failure of the conservative legal project, however, would likely have broader effects by hardening the sense of disillusionment with elites that many conservatives feel and empowering those in the metaphorical “burn everything to the ground” camp. It’s likely to mean a conservatism with more Marjorie Taylor Greenes and fewer Amy Coney Barretts.