Chuck Todd: Yes, it's that bad for the GOP

[IDemo]

By Chuck Todd
Chief White House correspondent and political director
NBC News
updated 10:25 a.m. MT, Thurs., May 14, 2009
WASHINGTON -

There are a number of ugly debates going on inside the Republican Party right now.

There is the debate over whether or not there is even something wrong; there’s the debate over whether or not RNC chair Michael Steele should be trusted with making financial decisions for the party; there’s the debate over whether or not the party should come up with an alternative to being just a party for conservatives; and there’s the debate over whether or not all of this is just an over-reaction.

I have no stake in this other than as a junkie who enjoys a competitive political landscape.

And that is what is sad right now for junkies: things don’t even look that competitive anymore.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30745624/

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. The party is ripping itself apart internally. Stand aside and enjoy the fun.

With total fools like Limbaugh and Cheney carving the party to shreds, who needs to get their hands dirty?

[underpants]

2. oh Christ! he actually speaketh of Schiavo YIKES!

Which brings us to personal freedoms: From the legislating of morality (Schiavo as the prime example), to the various conservative-led state bans on gay marriage, the Republicans did very little to expand personal freedoms and if anything looked like the party trying to take freedoms away.

[underpants]

4. E.J. Dionne nailed this a year and a half ago

Painting the Suburbs Blue

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091301681.html

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, September 14, 2007

The Republicans are in danger of being pushed into a Southern redoubt. Their increasingly narrow regional and demographic base bears a remarkable resemblance to the old areas of Democratic strength during the Republican heyday after the Civil War.

But trends within the states are as important as national geography. Outside the Deep South, Democrats are on the verge of becoming the dominant party in the suburbs and are pushing into the exurbs. In Virginia, that offensive was central to the Democratic victories of Gov. Tim Kaine in 2005 and Sen. Jim Webb in 2006. But the implications go beyond a single state.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who headed the Democrats' 2006 effort in the House elections, regularly reminds his colleagues that 16 of the 31 Democratic pickups were in suburban or exurban areas. He has been talking about a new "suburban populism" or "metropolitan populism" that he characterizes as "a revolt of the center." The suburbs are changing demographically as more nonwhites move in, and many suburban voters are turned off by the ideological politics of the right, particularly the Christian right.

[bluestateguy]

3. Stay on your guard. They won't be in disarray forever.

They were in disarray in 1992 too, after the Clinton election. I don't have to remind you all what happened two years later. Someday they will get their act together. I don't know when, but they will. We need to be ready for them when they do.

[Cobalt-60]

7. Quite right. They could be engaging in a little theater

They've sown fifth columnists through the bureaucracy.
Their hacks are in place on the bench
Their wealthy supporters are practicing economic terrorism.
The attack has to be pressed until the Republican Party is a
fading shadow on the wall.

[KoKo]

9. Their moles are everywhere in the government, national and local and

like Manchurian Candidates they can spring forth when needed. That may sound sinister, but as the poster above says...remember '92 and never forget Richard Nixon.

[depakid]

8. Yep- and Democrats will likely follow their old habits

alienating their supporters by enabling, legitimizing and adopting Repblican policies until once again (along with being hapless) people will percieve that there's little or no difference between the parties.

[santamargarita]

5. Don't change a thing...

we like making fun of you just they way you are.

[struggle4progress]

6. Limbaugh's dukin it out with McCain's ma!

:bounce:

My money's on her -- though I guess it's still possible he could pick up her purse and start to pummel her with it