The Final Countdown

So here we are: 2 years, 20 some-odd candidates, 8000 debates, and 900 million dollars later, we have finally reached the end. Barring some terrible election fiasco a la Florida 2000, tomorrow night we will know the outcome of this presidential election.

What is left to blog about? We can measure the drapes and pick out the china pattern!

Or we can discuss the future of the Republican party.

The GOP is like lead and melamine tainted products from China: very toxic and utterly ruined as a brand. How will they ever recover at the national level? The only region of the country they will still be in the majority is the Deep South, and even that support has weakened. This may be the election that kills the GOP and ushers in two new parties: The fiscal conservatives and the social conservatives. They could each form their own alliances with moderate independents, but it could be decades before either was strong enough to compete nationally.

The only other option was for the entire party to move to the center. They tried that with Bush and then McCain, but as we can see, it only alienates both the religious right and the fiscal hawks.

This crisis is bigger than Watergate because it not just about one man or even the national committee. This GOP crisis is at every level and with every republican voter. I expect that the level of anger and hatred (often directed towards the left but always coming back to their own on the right) will reach a point where third parties will be bolstered. Watch 2012 for the Libertarian and Constitution parties to make real in-roads and possibly even win seats in the house or in state government.

I know we still have Election Day ahead of us, but when it is over and the final votes are cast, there won't be any need to pinch me....all my dreams will have come true.