Right-wingers already have a scape-goat for their impending election-loss:

[DetlefK]

Romney.

He's not a conservative, he's not running a conservative campaign. (see Rush Limbaugh, Joe Scarborough, Forbes magazine...)

After all, the conservative wisdom goes, the US is a center-right country!
If you are conservative enough, you can win this!
If Romney were conservative, he would win this!
Obama will most likely win and the Right will learn a lesson. The wrong lesson. "If only we had been more conservative!"




After this, I see only two options for the GOP:

1. A takeover by the Tea Party-wing. Tilt even more to the edge of the electorate and become marginalized.

2. Split the GOP into a "Tea Party" and into a "Moderate Republican Party". Try to establish a new center-right party between the center-left Democrats and the extreme-right "Tea Party". (Boehner has already taken precautions against a Tea Party takeover of the republican party: He manipulated a vote on a rule-change at the RNC to ensure that, in future elections, no upstart could become presidential candidate without approval by the party-establishment.)




Personally, I hope for option 2: The GOP could save face and return to sanity. The two-party-system would be broken up. The political polarization would ebb, once the parties realize that they have to scale down their attacks on a party that could eventually let them take part as a minor partner in a coalition-government.
(In Angela Merkel's first term, Germany's two biggest parties, center-right CDU and center-left SPD, formed a coalition representing 70% of the vote. It worked out fine, despite decades of rivalry.)

[zellie]

1. Thats the beauty of the rupukes....

inevitably, they always eat their own.

[calimary]

27. Welcome to DU! DON'T GET COMPLACENT, THOUGH!!!!

Yes, I'm shouting! Sorry - but it's CRITICALLY important not to get complacent. We don't have this thing won yet!

Glad you're here. We need you.





Now get to work.

[Marr]

2. Well... in their defense, Romney is a horrible candidate.

But the 1% love him, and that's enough to trump the religious right, the Limbaughtomy patients, the Libertarians, the gun nuts, and all the rest.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. He certainly is...

And part of his problem is that he's trying to be something he's not.

Mitt used to be pro-choice. While he opposed gay marriage, he was never the most conservative Republican in the room on the subject of GLBT issues. He was at one time in favor or raising the minimum wage and was generally not the worst guy in the world.

He was a very moderate Republican, and possibly even a conservative Democrat.

I could have liked him. A little.

But now? He's completely sold his soul to his ambition. He's saying whatever he thinks is necessary and jettisoning every ounce of integrity he ever had. And it shows. Even people who say they're going to vote for the guy know this in their gut.

[Marr]

17. It seems to me he was never actually *anything*.

He's an etch-a-sketch, empty suit politician who doesn't particularly care about the traditional wedge issues, and can easily endorse whatever position is presently called for. I expect he's much more committed to ideas like 'giving Mitt's class of people more money', but to get there, you have to play some politics.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. That's the excuse every time things blow up in their face.

"He's not a real conservative." That's was their excuse after Bush's miserable 8 years of failure.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. I want to see the GOP in 1,000 little pieces.

They gave birth to the teabaggers and now their offspring has climbed out of the crib and trashed the place.

Bar the exit doors and let them work it out.

[Gman]

5. I want them even more extreme

They are a party of nuts now. Let the moderate Repubs come over to the Democratic Party much like the conservative Dems went to the GOP in the 60's and 70's. We could still get the same "coalition" but with a more left lean as we know left. The center is now pretty far right in recent years.

And they created the tea party. They must live with it.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Clearly, the solution is to move further to the white

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. [rimshot]

[Scuba]

13. +1

[KharmaTrain]

9. Bishop Willard Meets The Frankenstein Monster...

He was and still is the "establishment" candidate who is not just an awful campaigner but a bad liar as well. In their zeal for power at all costs, the rushpublicans catered to the fundies to make sure those church buses were full on election day...and then they created the teabaggers to win the House two years ago. Now these monsters are coming back to bite the party in the electorate...and the fun is just beginning.

Mittens is still trying to win their "hearts and minds" and thought he could "etch-a-sketch" his way through the primaries. His scortched earth campaign created a lot of residual damage that forces Willard to lerch to the right and still it's not enough. He never got rushbo's blessings and his naming Pinocchio Munster as his running mate showed just how weak of a candidate and human being he is. He sold out for Adelson's money and a teabagger favorite...yet that still isn't enough.

The rushpublican establishment can read the polls and see little movement in their direction. Much of the attenion of the SuperPacs are quickly moving to the Senate and Congressional races as the Bishop continues to run an inept campaign. There's a good reason they're already scapegoating him...he deserves it. I'm sure for some it's gotta be painful to see how awful of a campaigner this douchenozzle is...but most never supported him in the first place. Remember, he never drew above 20% of the vote in the early primaries. Pissing off the Paulbots at the RNC wasn't too screwd a move either.

The fun will begin if Mittens does lose (nothing is taken for granted here until the votes are counted)...and can only get more amusing should the GOTB fail to take the Senate and (wishing, hoping) they lose the House. No matter...the knives will be out and Willard will be the target. The interesting game will be if Boner also takes a fall and what other "leadership" goes with him.

Here's hoping we can make my fantasy a reality...

[TxVietVet]

10. I hope they get more radical.

I taunt some of the true believer wingnuts because they are radical enough. "You need to push hard for your views on abortion, taxes, government intrusion." I want them so radical only the KKK and American Fascist will hang with them.

Their candidate is trying to appeal to the 1% and the teabaggin' kkkluckers. Rmoney has no concept on how Americans live and work.

He cannot connect with average people because he's a spoiled rich a$$hole that's never had to work a day in his life.

[FSogol]

11. The GOP will double down on their stupidity and pick someone like Santorum/Christie in 2016.

I could use 8-20 years of a Democrat in the White House

[Cosmocat]

19. We will see how it turns out, but I see no way

that they don't double down on the stupidity.

They have been COMPLETELY taken over by the far right.

At the presidential level, it appears that they can't get a hard right person on the ticket - Bush was hard right, but was VERY well packaged as a "compassionate conservative" and barely won a race coming off 8 years of them just lambasting President Clinton.

McCain and Romney both were probably the least hard right candidate.

But, at the senate/congressional level, outside of the Scott Browns running in Mass (again, very well packaged as a moderate), we see that the person running hardest to the right in the primary wins 95% of the time.

They have purged any R from congress who is not rabid, and they vote as one singular voting block (something that SHOULD be noted in our national political discourse as a MAJOR problem, but with Rs is just a matter or course).

That party will only move further to right, even if it's presidential candidates do not.

[oldhippydude]

29. keep in mind

the demographic bomb..they really cant seem to get any traction with minoritys..(electrified border fences, no dream act etc.) within 2 election cycles they will loose both Texas, and Arizona..there is a very good chance that after this election cycle they are doomed..

thats what the voter suppression thing is all about a rear guard action.. in short they are screwed

yes i welcome another conservative... and i will put our bench against their's this election or the foreseeable future..

[lunatica]

12. A third party will emerge

[jeff47]

20. Except it will emerge on the left.

With the Republicans scampering into right-wing insanity, Democrats are trying to vacuum up the moderate Republicans. Which means Democrats are also moving to the right.

Which means there isn't space for a new major party between the Democrats and the Republicans. But there is space on the left of the Democrats.

If the Republicans turn back from insanity, both parties will drift back to the left and things will be relatively stable - and there will be no new major party. Over the next decade we'll go back to "the way it was" in roughly the 80s when it comes to left-right split.

If the Republicans keep the insanity turned up to 11, then it's gonna be chaos for about the next 20 years. While a new actually "left" party would be good for the country, I also fear what can slip through during the chaos.

[lunasun]

30. oh dear that could lead to an Idiocracy!

[Bandit]

14. If Romney were conservative, he would win this! Obama will most likely win

Sounds like they are saying Obama is more Conservative than Rmoney..

[DetlefK]

15. Remember how Fox News explained away Obama's win in 2008?

It wasn't "anybody-but-Bush". Instead:

How could Obama possibly win in a center-right country? "He ran as a center-right candidate."

[LeftinOH]

16. In 2008 they blamed McCain for the loss..because he wasn't conservative enough.

[magical thyme]

18. hopefully the teaparty splits off and the GOP returns to sanity

which will force the Democratic party to start moving toward the left back to at least the old center, and eventually maybe even truly left so the old center can become the current center again.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. A return to sanity? They have not been anything close to sane in my lifetime.

They have always been on a full tilt train ride to the far right end of the line...always.

[magical thyme]

22. I think Eisenhower was sane.

I was only single digits back then, but from what I've read he was sane.

Nixon, for all his craziness, was way to the left of President Obama.

So yeah, I hope they return to some semblance of sanity. It is the only way I see the Democratic Party finding its way back to center and then even left of center.

[MadHound]

23. That split in the Republican party is already happening

It started in '08 when Palin got the VP nod. That drove a lot of moderate 'Pugs to the Democratic party. Sad part is, with that influx of moderate 'Pugs, the Democrats are moving to the right themselves.

[hifiguy]

24. If (and when) Mittbot goes down

- and I do believe he's going to go down very hard indeed - there is going to be a massive intramural bloodbath in the Repuke party. The plutocracy has the money but the lunatics now have the numbers.

When Grampy picked Princess Dumbass she unlocked the attic where the real kooks had been locked up since the days of William F. Buckley. Now that flatulent and greasy crowd of orcs has boiled out into the "mainstream" honking, spitting, farting and belching, and no one knows how to get rid of them.

They stand around, the turd in the Republican punchbowl, like the Visigoths picking their noses in the Colosseum after the sack of Rome, peeing against the walls and pinching loafs in the corners. They are not going away. This is, to put it diplomatically, something of a problem and not one that will be resolved easily or politely.

[left on green only]

31. I really love your florid rhetoric.

Have you by chance been cavorting with Duchess St. Rollins? LOL

[hifiguy]

33. I read her but I was writing like this a long time ago.

Way too much Hunter S. Thompson and P.J. O'Rourke at an impressionable age. Believe it or not, O'Rourke was once screamingly funny. Growing up with the National Lampoon and the good Doctor Thompson warped me for life.

[onenote]

25. From what I'm seeing, the repubs first choice for scapegoat is the "liberal media"

[calimary]

26. Uh-uh-uh... DO NOT GET COMPLACENT!!! Remember what Mad-Eye Moody told Harry Potter!

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!!"

He'd say "You've GOT to KNOW!" He was a fierce advocate of being prepared and ALWAYS on alert, ALWAYS on watch. NEVER letting one's guard down.

Let's not take these reports too much to heart - even while we're savoring them. We haven't won this yet!!! We need to lock this in securely, first.

And THEN and ONLY THEN - we start activating on ways to enable whatever GOP outcome would be most to our longterm advantage. THAT we should be thinking about, and planning for, now. But don't put much hope in it - until we get OUR man over the finish line first.

[louis-t]

28. Option 2 would also give Dems a majority for another 40 years.

Either way, repugs lose.

[davidn3600]

35. Not necessarily...

You are assuming that if the GOP breaks up that the Democrats will remain as-is. That's very unlikely...

Two possible scenarios..one is that if the Democrats gain ranks, they will move away from the left and towards the center because they would pick up a lot of people in the middle, including moderate Republicans. You can't close the party from them. If they register as a Democrat, run as a Democrat and win primaries, they could knock out more liberal candidates.

OR

The moderate GOPers could begin to pick up ranks themselves looking attractive to independents and stealing moderate Democrats.

Keep in mind that no matter what, the country's ideology has not really changed. We are still a very politically-divided nation. Even with one-party rule, it would reflect that because the congress is influenced by their constituents. And half the country is conservative.

[Zen Democrat]

32. If they were any more conservative they'd wear brown shirts, arms bands and jack boots.

In fact, I'm sure many already do. I heard a radio talk dude last night say that if the Republicans lost this election it would disintegrate and be replaced by either the Conservative Party or the Nationalist Party.

The Nationalist Party? They aren't even hiding the fascism any more.

[Drahthaardogs]

34. Except that Germany has a Parliament not a Senate and House like we do.

There is a difference, and it is why an opposition party (a stance the Rethugs have taken) can be so disastrous in our system.

[DetlefK]

36. Germany has two parliamentary chambers.

A "national" one (Bundestag), where the main part of political action happens, and a "federal" one (Bundesrat), where bills concerning matters of the states have to be ratified.

The federal parliament has three major differences to the US Senate:
* There is no filibuster. (Yay!)
* Number of seats of a state are allocated roughly proportional to number of population of the state. The party that won the state-elections gets to vote with its seats how it sees fit: The seats are bound to the state-government, not a particular representative.
* State-elections have a 5-year-cycle, while national elections have a 4-year-cycle. That way, every year is election-year somewhere and simply blocking everything is way harder as the balance of power is continually in shift.

[quaker bill]

37. Some will blame Rmoney, some will blame the t-party

From the little bits I have seen of the internal fracas on the right, (I have a friend who is a GOP state commtteeman), this division already exists. The side that wins will be determined by who shows up at the party meetings immediately after the loss.

In 2004, for the FL dems and many others, there was a sense among the Dean folks that they would work hard for John Kerry, but if he lost, our next step was for all of us to show up at the Dem party meetings and attempt to get our members elected to positions in the party. We did it and Dean became DNC chair.

After a Presidential win, the parties have named leadership, usually from or closely tied to the winning Presidential campaign. After a defeat the leadership is more of an open question. The first few organizing meetings after the defeat will set the tone and direction, it will very much depend on who shows up.

If I were offered a bet, I would take the republican "centrists", as I bet the far righties will be headed in the direction of toying with third party notions or simply too angry at the "GOP-e" to show up. However I would bet pretty small and at even odds, because it is entirely possible that the "GOP-e" crowd is simply too disheartened to show and the t-party faction grabs power and drives the GOP bus over a cliff. It will be fun to watch (from a considerable distance).

While it is possible, I don't think a third party goes any further on the right wing than it does on the left. Like the green party on the left, they could well win a few local seats in very hospitable areas, and if they run nationally, could pull enough votes on occasion to impact the GOP (more than the 1 percent the green party pulls), but largely not enough to take more than a scant few seats in the House currently held by t-party types. Over time their failure to grow and effect real change of any sort will doom them.