Where to for the GOP after this election?

[Ausmerican]

I'm hoping TeaParty candidates 2014 and 2016.

I find Romney/Ryan horrible too.

The Tea who now? Are they still around? I know they just cancelled a big do in Arizona featuring their young rock stars, Joe Arpaio, Pat Boone, & Terry Lakin, because they could'nt sell any tickets to it.
In Arizona they could'nt.
They seem to be fast becoming Tea-relevent.

 

[Puppycow]

The Tea who now? Are they still around? I know they just cancelled a big do in Arizona featuring their young rock stars, Joe Arpaio, Pat Boone, & Terry Lakin, because they could'nt sell any tickets to it.
In Arizona they could'nt.
They seem to be fast becoming Tea-relevent.

They are still quite relevant in Republican primaries.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/aug/01/tea-party-wins-incumbents-ousted/

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashv...on-or-off-tennessees-veer/Content?oid=2934544

http://www.adn.com/2012/08/28/2603148/gop-incumbents-trail-in-state.html

http://www.emptywheel.net/2012/08/2...as-opportunity-for-democratic-pick-up-in-fl3/

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/09/nation/la-na-lugar-election-20120509

http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2012/08/tea-party-leader-ousts-longtime-gop-rep-steve-smith

 

[Ausmerican]

They are still quite relevant in Republican primaries.

True and I should have been more clear. I hope they stay a force in Republican politics. I just think they have worn out there welcome somewhat on the independent and national level.
But, hell they can rip up their home turf as much as they want.

 

[Puppycow]

True and I should have been more clear. I hope they stay a force in Republican politics. I just think they have worn out there welcome somewhat on the independent and national level.
But, hell they can rip up their home turf as much as they want.

It's a double-edged sword for Democrats though.

While they might pick up some more seats at the margins, the Republicans who remain will be much less willing to compromise, and it only takes 40 Republican senators to stop legislation from getting through the Senate.

 

[Ausmerican]

It's a double-edged sword for Democrats though.

While they might pick up some more seats at the margins, the Republicans who remain will be much less willing to compromise, and it only takes 40 Republican senators to stop legislation from getting through the Senate.

Undoubtedly true. I am just getting by on my oddly placed faith that the main body of Republicans are going to see the light before they exile themselves before relegating themselves to the political wilderness of being the perpetual opposition party.

They cant continue to write off or turn off large parts of the Black vote, the Gay vote, the Hispanic vote, and lately the Woman's vote and continue to be a viable party in the 21st Century.

 

[SezMe]

As I've said before, the U.S. is leaning to the left, and the Presidential election is set up to favor the Democratic party.

I don't see that lean.

 

[Eddie Dane]

That's an interesting scenario. If they win, the Tea Party will try to take the credit. They'll clamor for more power. Will the GOP give it to them, or will they try to sideline them and continue trying to walk the middle path? With Romney, I'd bet on the latter. As every Tea Partier knows, Romney is not a true Right-winger.

This will only exacerbate the split in the party and may even lead to outright intra-party warfare, pretty much guaranteeing a one-term Romney presidency.

Anyway, that's the most likely scenario I see. Of course, what really happens depends on the economy, something that is only minimally affected by what US party is in power. If it improves greatly during the Romney presidency, something I find unlikely regardless of who wins, all rifts will be forgiven, at least temporarily. But if balancing the budget is to occur, then some hard choices are going to be made, and I do not expect the Tea Party to be rational about this. They do not have a history of being rational.

Reading your post, I just realised that the Republicans have quite a big strategy problem on their hands.
The Dems have moved so far right, that they are where the Reblicans used to be on many points.
With the strong us-vesus-them rethoric (did the Internet cuase the discourse to get so polarised?) it's almost impossible to move to the middle for the Republicans, the Dems are effectively occupying it.

 

[malicus]

As I've said before, the U.S. is leaning to the left, and the Presidential election is set up to favor the Democratic party. The U.S. really hasn't bought the Republican talking points since 1988. So they're going to have to come up with something (and someone) new.

I view the situation akin to what happened here in the UK in the late 90s (New Labour).

I view the USA leaning left, as in, left towards centre, which in turn favours Democrats over poor Republican candidates.

This has a net effect of the more right wing politicians looking more and more extreme to an increasing number of centrist or policy voters - who may be a block of voters moving with society change eg gay marriage, less religious.

ETA: Does this explain how much Romney struggles to get his message across and appeal to this range of voters? His base, the. Rep base is contracting? I still think he is very much taking one for the team.

 

[jj]

The fix, however, is in. Between the last-minute fraud that will prevent millions of Ohio voters from voting,all of them in labor areas, the massive disenfranchisement in Florida that will be suddenly stepped up a day before the election, etc, Romney, in my opinion, is a shoe-in.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[SezMe]

"Shoe-in" is way to strong...and I too hope you are wrong.

 

[BrotherDesmond]

I'm hoping TeaParty candidates 2014 and 2016.

I find Romney/Ryan horrible too.

Please, give us the names of some viable tea part candidates.

 

[Upchurch]

So, correct me if I'm misreading this, but the consensus is that if the Romney loses, the GOP is most likely going to try to move even further from the center? That actually jibes with what the local conservative radio talk show guy was saying this morning.

*sigh*

I miss when the GOP stood for reasonable things.

 

[TragicMonkey]

So, correct me if I'm misreading this, but the consensus is that if the Romney loses, the GOP is most likely going to try to move even further from the center? That actually jibes with what the local conservative radio talk show guy was saying this morning.

My mom makes a lemon chicken dish that other people can't eat because it's too lemony. Every time she makes it she puts more lemon in because she remembers nobody seemed to like it last time, and concludes it must not have been lemony enough. It's so lemony it takes the pattern off the plates, but still she's going to add more lemon because she knows that's what we want.

 

[Mooseman]

The idea that we lost the election because we are just not far enough to the right strikes me as strange. But even here in solid blue Ct. that is what the Tea Party is preaching. Ever rejection is taken as proof that the voters just want someone more conservative. By the way the local Tea Group is quite a bit out of step with the majority of the voting public along with being confrontational and somewhat stupid.

 

[The Mutha]

That's my take on it too. If the Republicans don't win this round, the conservative base will scream that it's because Romney wasn't conservative enough. So in 2016, they'll nominate someone along the lines of Pat Robertson's idiology and get trounced roundly. Then and only then, will they finally wake up and realize that their brand of the Republican party is dying off and they've got to get back in touch with the younger then 60 crowd as well as figure out how to become acceptable to minority voters.

They're not going to do that with the fear mongering that's their current model.

 

[Brainster]

Didn't we have these "it's the end of the Republican Party" threads in 2006 and 2008? Heck, we may even have had some in 2010, but of course only prior to the elections. Which is why it may be a great idea to have another one now, because there may not be another chance for liberal triumphalism come November.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Well, either they could sit down, take a realistic look at themselves and at the population and consider what's really important, what people actually want, and think of ways to craft policies that work rather than make up the catchiest thought-terminating cliche slogans, and really try to work hard to better the nation.....or they could just stuff in twice as much Jesus and ten times as much anti-tax rhetoric and hope for a win next time. Anyone want to bet which route they go?

Santorum 2016.

 

[Mooseman]

Didn't we have these "it's the end of the Republican Party" threads in 2006 and 2008? Heck, we may even have had some in 2010, but of course only prior to the elections. Which is why it may be a great idea to have another one now, because there may not be another chance for liberal triumphalism come November.

It's not the end of the party at all, but it is a wake up call to increase the base. Or are you still waiting for a win?

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

One would hope the fiscal conservatives would take back control of the party from the social conservatives. One would hope they realize the futility of being the party of No and actually start working toward compromise.

Or they could continue to pander to the most extreme and uninformed voters in the country. . .

 

[ponderingturtle]

I don't see that lean.

Think about it like a car. We are swerving right so sheer momentum makes us lean left.