And which office proposes said candidates? And how does that office get elected? It’s not crazy for the OP to mention a national majority

Office that is voted in by people who potentially do not represented 49.9% of the people who voted for them.

What do you mean office?

The voters elect senators, who nominate candidates and then vote.

The President nominates and the Senate vets/confirms them.

https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/faq_general.aspx

You're right.

The senate judiciary committee will vote, then the candidate is voted on by the entire senate.

Regardless, the confirmation process is conducted by elected representatives. There is no "this party chose them".

A strict reading of the rules says that but the meta behavior of how the political parties interact with those rules means that the scotus judges are de facto chosen by one party or the other.

Then what happens when one party controls the Senate and another the Presidency?

Which has happened quite often?

What used to happen is the President nominated someone qualified and the Senate confirmed them.

Now, it causes a political circus.

I'd disagree there. You've heard of Robert Bork?

> On October 26, the Senate confirmed Barrett to the Supreme Court by a vote of 52–48, 30 days after her nomination and 8 days before the 2020 presidential election. *Every Republican senator except Susan Collins voted to confirm her, whereas every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus voted in opposition.* Barrett is the first justice since 1870 to be confirmed without a single vote from the Senate minority party.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Coney_Barrett