We might be at one of those historic moments when a party disintegrates

[nadinbrzezinski]

in front of us.

They don't come often in US history... and the last major party to go the way of the doddo were the Whigs, back in 1854

But depending on how the power struggle goes in the RNC after the election we may actually see the RNC go away... and this does not mean that we will see the conservatives go away... after all the Whig replaced the Tory, and the GOP replaced the Whig.

But we might be treated to something that is so historically rare that we might be able to tell our kids about it.

Now it is not assured, before anybody does any tappy feet... but given they are loosing their intelligentsia faster than you can write the word, and that the young Religious Right actually is splitting from elders who MIGHT form their own "values based" party... we might be seeing something historical...

Just the thought sends shivers down my back. As this will also make the country quite unstable as leadership will be gone...

And the most radical of the radicals may become quite ugly.

[SharonAnn]

1. Does that mean the GOP extremists will form a new "Know Nothing" party?

I think that would pretty well fit the religious right wackos, extremists, fundamentalists, racists, homophobics, misogynists, bigots, idealogues, and ignoramuses, etc.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It is splitting across the fracture lines

that we already know off...

The paleocons are finally saying what they think of the war

The fundies cannot stand the abandonment of "values"

The neocons are persona non grata....

And so it goes

So you may see SEVERAL parties emerge to compete, and even perhaps if they libertarians finally find a groove, they might replace the GOP

It will take a couple cycles for things to shake up I suspect... but watch the post election finger pointing

[blue sky at night]

10. quite a big tent you are describing there....

come one, come all....we have room for everyone here!!! Step right up...

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. They have a "big tent"

read John Dean's Conservatives without a conscience, I only covered the four largest subgroups

Why I suspect it will fall apart

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

2. They can't win...

...but I worry that they could make the country ungovernable. And that idea would appeal to them. They damn near did it when Clinton was president.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. They are planning the impeachment President Obama as I type these words

that is for sure

And that is my worry as well.. that the most radical amongst the right will do that... or worst... I expect to see the militias to ahem take on more force as the months pass

[buddysmellgood]

11. They would need more than a few people in office to do that ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. They didn't have that many people when they started planning that

the Arkansas project goes December of 1992

They did NOT have the congress at the time

[illuminaughty]

18. Was just thinking that tonight

They started right in on Clinton and they sure as hell will start in on Obama to create an even more uphill battle than he is already facing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. People need to be aware of this

especially at the party level

[blue sky at night]

4. yo nadin...

long time.

I agree with you, I feel the disintegration of the pukes is nearing. You make a great point there about how radical they really are and how quickly they may become dangerously ugly. There is bound to be an ugly backlash of hate when Obama takes the helm in January, just hope no one dies...but then again we aren't called the most violent country in the world for nothing!!!


I hope to keep hearing from you in the next 20 days, you are a rock!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Thanks, blush

[fishwax]

7. Yep -- it's not just that they'll lose in November, but they have no sense of where to go next

It was obvious four years ago that this would be a tough election for them because the party was held together by duct tape against Kerry, and they had nobody in line who could bring the party together in any meaningful way. Four years have gone by, and the shape of the party hasn't become any more coherent.

It is going to be great fun to watch the meltdown starting November 4.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. I actually fear the danger that this may bring

after all I won't be too shocked if some of four values votes decide to form religious enclaves in the hope of ahem independence

Remember the country is also loosing its superpower status, as well as the preeminent place in world finance

To a point think the Summer of '32 combined with the Summer of '88 and the fall of the USSR

That will make some in the most dangerous elements quite dangerous

[fishwax]

12. all such turning points bring both danger and opportunity

I'm looking forward to seeing how it shakes out. The coming months/years could certainly bring a seismic shift.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Ah the famous curse, may you live in interesting times

[buddysmellgood]

9. Running toward the zealot base did not work this time. It won't likely work

next time. A new centrist party would make sense. McSame is clearly disturbed by what he's had to do to run. He must be extremely sorry he hugged Bush.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. You mean something to the LEFT of these fanatics? I'll welcome that

perhaps then the Dems will go tot he LEFT and become a TRUE left (from a world poli sci perspective that is)

[Stinky The Clown]

17. I agree that it is possible. The shotgun marriage is coming apart

This coalition of racists, religious nuts, social conservatives, and fiscal conservatives started to build in 1964, with Nixon.

Reagan saw it at the height of its power and cohesivness.

Bush the Lesser was the last recipent of its even-then-fading power (witness how close both elections were ...... yeah, I know .... Supremes). For too many years, one or more faction of this disparate amalgam of only modestly overlapping self interests has come to the table and nor gotten a meal.

These factions are not just different people. They're different species!

It might hold together. There might be some crumbling at the edges. The whole damned thing may just be rent asunder.

It will be fun to watch. We won't know until the 2010 cycle.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Watch the first two weeks after the election

that will tell us a lot about it

[ThoughtCriminal]

21. I'm guessing that the Wall Street R's are going to jump

and leave the GOP to the Armageddon-Loving-Fundies who will make Palin their anointed one of the future.

The bad part is dealing with the infiltration of Country Club Republicans who will try and transform the Democratic Party into more "Republican Light".

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Well this happens as well during severe political realignments

so that is possible as well

And we will have to watch for it

Blue dogs are just the leading edge

That said... the economy is also going to force seismic changes in the Ds

[bigtree]

23. some of the republican disaffected were talking about starting a new party