Hold off on that obituary for the repub party

[cali]

yes, it's tempting, but if you don't think the repuke party could roar back in 2010, you don't know much about American politics. If the economy continues its slide, if any number of things occur over the next year or so, the repukes could make stunning gains in the 2010 elections, winning in unlikely places.

The repub party is in disarray, but no more so than the dem party was only a few short years ago. Things can change quickly, and we're going to need to really work to keep from suffering losses in the next election cycle.

[cobalt1999]

1. No party is permanently out of power

We'll be back to a republican lead government eventually, it's just a matter of how much time. 2010 isn't likely but after Obama's second term they'll be a threat again.

[rolltideroll]

9. I gotta disagree

Respectfully, but where are the Whigs now? The Repubs are on the wrong end of a demographic landslide. They don't win Hispanics, they do not win college educated voters.African Americans are written off by them every election.Ditto the Jewish vote. They people who do vote for them are becoming a smaller, more centralized part of the electorate.The fact they are becoming more centralized is worse than the losses they will take in demographics. The republicans, in my humble opinion, have two elements: Christian Evangelicals and Rockefeller Republicans.McCain would be Rockefeller, Palin the Christian, After the republicans took such a beating in 08, they now have two directions to go: Further right in reaction to Obama, or moving left. The old republicans will fight a move right, the evangelicals will leave if they move the party left. The party will have to run another schizophrenic ticket like they did in 08,half moderate, half psycho "Handmaids Tale" style Christian. Just my opinion.

[razorman]

2. Absolutely right. I remember the 1994 elections.

When the Republicans won control of congress, there were all sorts of articles bemoaning the demise of the Democratic party. Didn't happen. The pendulum swings.

[zipplewrath]

4. Don't like the pendulum analogy

What happens is certain elements of parties fall in and out of power. The social conservatives are probably on their way out. The neocons on the other hand are probably just suffering a setback. The neocons are to the GOP what the DLC is/was to the democrats. The DLC ain't dead, and I think evidence abounds for that. The flip side is that the DLC didn't get THIS guy elected, nor many of the current office holders. Alternately, the democratic equivalent of the social conservatives is probably the true hardcore liberals (the Kucinich/Nader folks).

If the GOP rises, it will almost assuredly be through a rise of some variation of the old "Rockefeller republicans". i.e. folks preachings some variation of government regulation, noblesse oblige, and privilege for the powerful. It's that powerful snake oil of "we can all be rich" that they sell like lottery tickets. The flip side is that the DLC sells the "entitlements are free" crap.

[mmonk]

3. I never will write their obituary given the weaknesses in our party

and an uninformative media.

[ShortnFiery]

5. Not "uninformative" media: More like *Orwellian* pseudo-journalistic BOT-casters. n/t

[mmonk]

14. I was being polite.

;-)

[KharmaTrain]

6. There Will Be An Opposition, There Needs To Be One

It doesn't necessarily mean its the rushpublican party, and we may just see a real third party movement develop over the next few years as that party continues to disintigrate in its own corruption.

The problem with the GOOP is it hasn't hit bottom yet. It continues to polarize the electorate and divide itself...rifts that will get harder and harder to ever mend. They're now caged animals, but far from having their obituary written.

In many ways, the Democrats are reaching a saturation point. The party has turned many purple areas and states blue and the districts that remain are crimson. Just by that barometer alone, and the fact Democrats will have to defend, the winds point to a GOOP revival, but that depends on if this party gets it shit together and is able to win elections outside of its crimson world.

In short, the GOOP is still a potent force, but now are a regional party. Until they move toward the center, they won't be able to win nationally. And if they can't win, look for various factions within the party to move elsewhere...Libertarians and "Constitution" party. I don't think it would take much for another Perot to expoit this rift.

Cheers...

[el_bryanto]

7. Good point

And we will have to work pretty hard; that's the problem with winning elections, it often takes a lot of urgency out of the party.

Bryant

[radfringe]

8. yup... meanwhile

get a bowl of :popcorn: , some :beer: and enjoy the show

[maxrandb]

10. I won't

Like the Bob Dylan song,

"and I hope that you die,
and your death will come soon,
I'll follow your casket
all afternoon.

And I'll watch as you're lowered,
into your death bed,
then I'll stand over your grave
until sure that you're dead"

Anyway, unless they take a round turn away from the "wingnuts" like Limpballs and Insanity, they are marginalized to the last bastions of the "old South".

As many a person has pointed out, this is an entirely different America than what existed in 1994.

The Pubs are like the 8-Track Tape. It may still produce some quality sound, heck, you might even think the sound is richer than a CD, but you're going to have a hard time finding something to play it in.

Their stuff plays to the "30%er's". The rest of America doesn't like to have Pink Floyd's "Echoes" interrupted in the middle so it can click to the other side.

[Peacetrain]

11. Yep, I think we can get in trouble if we do not pay attention, they could

come back to life, like some wierd alien, that remorphs from a single digit.. :hide:

[derby378]

12. Enacting another semi-auto ban would be like giving the GOP a heart transplant and a can of Red Bull

Which means we should avoid any such gun legislation at all costs.

[spanone]

13. these fuckers are going nowhere....they are out there right now scheming and setting the scene

i turn on my teevee every day and there's ari fleischer, bill bennett, kkkarl rove, all the assholes have gone nowhere and they won't.