If I were a Republican I'd be careful about post-election euphoria. None of the fundamental weaknesses of the GOP have been addressed. It is still seen on the coasts as the party of low IQ Bahbl-bangers in the hinterlands.
When an independent voter thinks of the GOP, unpopular perma-wars in the Mideast are the first thoughts to come to mind. If the "God and Country" coalition that dominates the GOP had its way we would find new wars, starting with Iran. The coalition is made of Rapture Christians, neo-cons, and defense industries.
The label, conservative, is still misapplied to the GOP. The party was taken over by neo-cons during the G.W. Bush's administration. Neo-cons pay some lip service to the idea of limited government, but their real loyalty is to post-WWII hegemony by the USA. When they talk of "patriotism," they really mean defending the American global empire, starting with Israel of course. Rapture Christians naturally feel the same way.
It won't be very long before the GOP has a chance to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: unemployment benefits are running out for millions of Americans soon and Congress would need to pass legislation to extend those benefits. The American people don't blame the unemployed for being unemployed; it's the big banks that are the ultimate bums who need to be kicked off the welfare rolls. The GOP has the perfect chance to solidify their image of not caring about the little guy, and goaded on by Tea Party ideologues, I suspect they will take that opportunity.
Another chance to screw up is to overlook a tough and popular leader in a blue state, such as Governor Christie of New Jersey, as their presidential candidate. His crusade against the overpaid and over-pensioned public employees unions could resonate across America. But he doesn't speak with a southern accent, nor does he look like he has just enough brains to teach Sunday school kindergarten at a Bible church, a la Sarah Palin. Thus I suspect she will be the GOP's candidate in 2012.
Comments
Im one of the unhappily unemployable unemployed that was hopeful--
Tom in Orlando
Tom, The tea partiers might have the same use to establishment Republicans as Elmer Gantry's tent revivals had to respectable, brick-and-mortar churches: he whipped up enthusiasm, which the brick-and-mortar pastors hoped to benefit from, when Elmer folded the tent up and left town.