Robert Reich announces the death of the Republican Party

[ErikJ]

From his FB page.

I’m writing to you today to announce the death of the Republican Party. It is no longer a living, vital, animate organization. It has been replaced by warring tribes of rightwing zealots – evangelicals opposed to abortion, gay marriage, and science; libertarians opposed to any government constraint on private behavior; market fundamentalists convinced the “free market” can do no wrong; corporate and Wall Street titans seeking bailouts, corporate welfare, tax cuts, and deregulation; right-wing billionaires wanting more of the nation’s wealth than they own already; and white working-class Trumpoids who love Donald and hate Muslims, blacks, and Mexicans.

Each tribe has its own organization, its own sources of campaign funding, its own ideology, and its own candidates. What’s left is a lifeless shell called the Republican Party, but the Grand Old Party inside the shell is no more.

[BillZBubb]

1. I've heard that one before!

The republican party isn't going away. right wing loonies need a party to call their own. They'll all fall in line for whichever clown gets their nomination.

We on the left should quit deluding ourselves that the republicans are a dying party. They'll still control most of the governorships and state legislatures plus the US congress and Supreme Court. Sure, they have a big problem in a presidential contest, but everywhere else they do very well.

[Octafish]

4. Like the fire sale after an intellectual bankruptcy.

If they had the brains, that is.

[NV Whino]

2. Yes, the "Democratic" party is taking its place.

[hifiguy]

5. Today's institutional Democratic party is where the Republicans were

pre-Raygun. Thank the FSM for Bernie.

[HereSince1628]

6. The 'New Dem/Third Way' have made in roads

While they've done that, there own tether/life-line to the base has become ever more tenuous

It's just as likely that the Ds will split, and there is strong disagreement and struggle for control between the New Dems vs Progressives.

If I lived to see 20 years from now, I wouldn't be surprised to see 2 differently labelled parties dominating politics.

[pampango]

3. A wonderful, one-paragraph summary of the GOP factions that are fighting with each other.

Thank you, Mr. Reich.

[randome]

8. The GOP is disintegrating at the same time the militias are making public spectacles.

I think the 2 arcs are symptoms of the same thing: white, male privilege is starting to see that the writing is on the wall.

It's going to take some time, and the phrase 'sea change' is used all-too-often, but I think we are seeing a true change in society.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[KittyWampus]

9. May be all warring tribes, but the elected chieftains all pay fealty to Grover Norquist.

Edit- and they all kiss the ring of George Bush the Senior.

[Bucky]

10. Premature extermination

He's wrong. Again.

[0rganism]

11. for a dead party they sure do control a lot of the country

i've said it before, i'll probably say it again:
reports of the GOP's demise tend to be greatly overstated.

we can revisit this when Michigan and Wisconsin have Democratic governors again.

[DemocraticWing]

12. They don't seem dead to me

They control both houses of Congress and an overwhelming number of state governments. The Party was strong enough that Mitt Romney, a lifeless man with no discernible soul, convictions, or purpose for running for office, somehow won 47% of the vote in 2012.

[Dont call me Shirley]

13. Maybe the gop is more like Zombie-dead.

[Donkees]

14. "Mushroom burial suit turns dead bodies into clean compost"

Infinity Burial Suit:
http://grist.org/living/mushroom-burial-suit-turns-dead-bodies-into-clean-compost/