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I agree with Atrios.
What I really want to know is when Mark Halperin, Chuck Todd or David Broder will write their columns on how talk radio hosts and right wing bloggers have become too influential in the GOP leading to Democraticdominance for the next 6 million years. Of course if they pronounced this Democrats would probably lose control of the Senate and House in the next election.
As Markos points out, there never really has been an ideological purity test in the netroots. Plenty of moderates have recieved large amounts of support from MoveOn and progressive blogs. (Obviously now that Dems control Congress, there is an effort to be a bit more picky.)
Republicans are planning to have the exact opposite reaction. They want to make the focus of the Republican Party abortion, discrimination against gay people, and illegal immigration:
The social conservatives and moderates who together boosted the Republican Party to dominance have begun a tense battle over the future of the GOP, with social conservatives already moving to seize control of the party’s machinery and some vowing to limit John McCain’s influence, even if he wins the presidency.
In skirmishes around the country in recent months, evangelicals and others who believe Republicans have been too timid in fighting abortion, gay marriage and illegal immigration have won election to the party’s national committee, in preparation for a fight over the direction and leadership of the party.
The growing power of religious conservatives is alarming some moderate Republicans who believe that the party’s main problem is that it has narrowed its appeal and alienated too many voters.
The first battle in the larger war will apparently be fought over the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee. Far-right conservatives, including Rush Limbaugh and some state party chairs, are already arguing that they will choose the next party leader, even if McCain wins the presidency.
Please. Please. Please let this be true. Democrats can focus on ending the war, fixing the economy andgiving everyone health care. While Republicans can focus on issues that only their base cares about.
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Yupper.
This was James Carville’s response to the 2006 election, that the Republican party would be little more than a regional party of the core South to Midwest, and would lose it’s national scope and influence.
It is easy to see that the lying has gotten on voters nerves. When they can’t trust you, when their lives are in mortal peril (terrorism), when their homes are being taken from them (mortgage crisis), when their jobs are being taken from them, and their savings (Wall St. crash), by all means, put the water carriers, the Liars-In-Chief at the head of the party.
Perhaps one day the ashes of the Republican Party will read the words of Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech (written by Peggy Noonan) and rediscover democracy. Until that day, let’s hope they heed the counsel of those who wish to attract smaller and smaller demographic segments.