I think we may be witnessing the demise of the GOP [View all]

[Hugabear]

Or at least, the GOP as we currently know it.

If Mitt cannot defeat Obama next week - legitimately or illegitimately - I think we will begin to see the GOP unravel at the seams.

Hatred can only take you so far, and America will have once again rejected the GOP's insane rantings and vitriol. The GOP offers no solutions at all - only more of the same failed policies. All they can offer up is their fear and loathing. Their racism, sexism, and homophobia has been laid out bare for all to see.

The problem with the GOP is that it is fragmented among 3 elements. First are the Wall Street barons, the ultra wealthy who want to remove any and all government regulation, who would return us back to the early 20th century. Then there are the extremist religious fundamentalists, who would turn this country into a theocracy, put women back into the kitchen, and force homosexuals back into the closet upon pain of imprisonment. Finally, there is the very small minority among the rethugs - those who truly consider themselves moderate, who believe in a woman's right to privacy, who understand that climate change is real, etc. This group represents such a small minority that there is no real threat of them taking over the GOP anytime soon.

The Wall Street tycoons and the evangelicals view each other with distrust, IMHO. Up until now, they've made use of each other, knowing that neither can win on their own. But how long can that symbiotic relationship last? I think if they lose next week, we'll see some serious cracks in that alliance. Each will blame the other for the loss, and that animosity will only grow over the next few years.

Will the GOP actually fragment into two or more separate parties? Too early to tell, because as much as they absolutely despise each other, they still face the reality that they cannot win on their own. Without big money, the evangelicals cannot hope to continue to pick up seats in Congress. But Big Money also needs the rabid fervor that the evangelical group provides (witness the "Tea Party" explosion).

Regardless if they split up or not, however, I think we may very well be witnessing the decline of the GOP as a strong political party. Sure, they'll continue to win elections here and there, and they'll maintain enough of a presence in Congress to be a pain in the ass. And they'll still win a presidential election here and there. But the American people has seen what the GOP really is, and I don't think they like it one bit.