I'm not sure if Roberts is trying to preserve or can preserve anything. At some point legacy means nothing. Just ask Bill Barr.

That said, I agree with you. Thomas and Alito are not arguing from any defensible position. They hate precedent -- which is the entire basis of common law jurisprudence -- yet continually reach back to witch trials and love letters between slave owners to defend their positions. They are, in my opinion, literally insane.