The Party's Over

The signs of decline are everywhere. No ideas. No strategy except saying no. Extreme candidates. An unbending view of the constitution that allows no other interpretation. An aging, angry, declining electorate. Technology that doesn't work and that isn't attracting the best young talent in Silicon Valley. A pollster who was so wrong last November it actually skewed the numbers in many election forecasts is saying that the president is in trouble. And perhaps worse, a Ronald Reagan fetish that misinterprets what Reagan really accomplished, and how he accomplished it. Tell me what's positive about the Republicans.

It's as if the party is driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with its eyes closed. Nothing good can come of this. They've already alienated a majority of people by voting down background checks. And now they're making noise that they will reject an immigration bill that has wide support and will address serious deficiencies in our system. Siding with big business on tax reform would be a sweet third strike as we move into next year's election season. In fact, 2010 will be seen as the swan song of the far right; the last gasp of a fading and rudderless movement that will take up residence in the south and fight the good fight, 150 years after the last major battles.

The Democrats, by contrast, are beginning to move out of the morass they found themselves in after the 2010 elections. Yes, they are presently mired in scandal muck, but this too shall pass. The scandals might slow down their momentum, but as the GOP will use them as an excuse to do nothing, the population will see their tactics for what they are, and have always been, and will vote accordingly. The Democrats will probably not take the House, but they will make inroads on the path to a majority in 2016. They'll also hold on to the Senate, but perhaps by a smaller margin than today.

From there, it will be up to the Republicans who are left to either help make this country better or continue their obstruction. Yes, they have Rubio, Paul, Ryan and Christie. But up against O'Malley, Cuomo, Clinton and Malloy, they don't stand a chance.

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