#1: The Republican Party’s voter base is continually shrinking.
Think about it — while they hold a majority in the House thanks to gerrymandering, the Senate is not held by the GOP and neither is the White House. In fact, no Republican candidate has easily won the White House since 1988 when George H.W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis in a landslide.
#2: Themselves.
The Republican Party is becoming even more extreme. It wasn’t acceptable to openly accuse the President of treason and call for impeachment for imaginary crimes ten or twenty years ago – at least in the rank and file part of the party. Yes, I know that Bill Clinton lied under oath about making sexy times with Monica Lewinsky, but that was an actual case of proven perjury and not the delusions of some far right nuts who believe President Obama went back in time and forged his own birth certificate.
#3: Libertarians.
No, not the Rand Paul style of fake libertarianism which has become popular within the GOP lately, but the collection of people who are not tied to one political party or another. These are voters who reject the concepts of endless war and warrantless surveillance signed off on by the majority of Republicans as well as many Democrats. They may not be libertarians in the most ideologically pure manner, but there are some voters (myself included) who believe both in affordable or even free healthcare for all and the right for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, within reason.
#4: The Tea Party.
Similar to point #2, when you allow extremist factions greater power in order to keep votes and donations coming in, eventually something goes wrong. Having been a child prop for the religious right and watching the fringe elements push for ever more control, it was obvious that the radical element would take control of the party bus once given the opportunity. Remember, these aren’t people who can be reasoned or bargained with. They view the federal government, our national credit rating, and the world’s economy as hostages to be taken and used as negotiating tools in exchange for pushing their agenda, which even includes disenfranchising female voters.
#5: Greed.
Sheer, unadulterated greed. For years we’ve been told that with more corporate profits, the wealth would eventually “trickle down.” Yet with the current economic status of the middle class and record corporate earnings, we can finally dismiss “trickle down” economics as being the load of 2 ton bull feces that it really is.
#6: Progress.
Despite everything the GOP has done to try to stifle the growth of third parties and keep minorities from voting, it’s not like Hans Brinker sticking his finger in that Dutch dike to keep the sea from swallowing everything. Eventually, they will lose. Old ideas fall by the wayside. Old prejudices die out with the people who hold them.
#7: Demographics.
Every year, new voters join the rolls and every year, older voters leave the rolls due to the eventual march of time and mortality. Younger voters don’t remember the days before desegregation, and they’re not as likely to respond positively to the racial, homophobic or xenophobic “dog whistles” used by candidates or media pundits.
#8: Ted Cruz.
Yes, Ted Cruz. Sure there are other nut jobs that have driven the GOP close to going over the ideological cliff, but Ted Cruz reminds me of Major Kong riding a falling hydrogen bomb in the famous movie “Dr. Strangelove.” No single politician wanted it as badly and did more to ensure the government’s shutdown than Ted Cruz. Just like Major Kong, he’s whooping and hollering all the way to oblivion, to the end of the Republican Party – and there’s nothing they can do about it.
Think about it — while they hold a majority in the House thanks to gerrymandering, the Senate is not held by the GOP and neither is the White House. In fact, no Republican candidate has easily won the White House since 1988 when George H.W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis in a landslide.
#2: Themselves.
The Republican Party is becoming even more extreme. It wasn’t acceptable to openly accuse the President of treason and call for impeachment for imaginary crimes ten or twenty years ago – at least in the rank and file part of the party. Yes, I know that Bill Clinton lied under oath about making sexy times with Monica Lewinsky, but that was an actual case of proven perjury and not the delusions of some far right nuts who believe President Obama went back in time and forged his own birth certificate.
#3: Libertarians.
No, not the Rand Paul style of fake libertarianism which has become popular within the GOP lately, but the collection of people who are not tied to one political party or another. These are voters who reject the concepts of endless war and warrantless surveillance signed off on by the majority of Republicans as well as many Democrats. They may not be libertarians in the most ideologically pure manner, but there are some voters (myself included) who believe both in affordable or even free healthcare for all and the right for law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, within reason.
#4: The Tea Party.
Similar to point #2, when you allow extremist factions greater power in order to keep votes and donations coming in, eventually something goes wrong. Having been a child prop for the religious right and watching the fringe elements push for ever more control, it was obvious that the radical element would take control of the party bus once given the opportunity. Remember, these aren’t people who can be reasoned or bargained with. They view the federal government, our national credit rating, and the world’s economy as hostages to be taken and used as negotiating tools in exchange for pushing their agenda, which even includes disenfranchising female voters.
#5: Greed.
Sheer, unadulterated greed. For years we’ve been told that with more corporate profits, the wealth would eventually “trickle down.” Yet with the current economic status of the middle class and record corporate earnings, we can finally dismiss “trickle down” economics as being the load of 2 ton bull feces that it really is.
#6: Progress.
Despite everything the GOP has done to try to stifle the growth of third parties and keep minorities from voting, it’s not like Hans Brinker sticking his finger in that Dutch dike to keep the sea from swallowing everything. Eventually, they will lose. Old ideas fall by the wayside. Old prejudices die out with the people who hold them.
#7: Demographics.
Every year, new voters join the rolls and every year, older voters leave the rolls due to the eventual march of time and mortality. Younger voters don’t remember the days before desegregation, and they’re not as likely to respond positively to the racial, homophobic or xenophobic “dog whistles” used by candidates or media pundits.
#8: Ted Cruz.
Yes, Ted Cruz. Sure there are other nut jobs that have driven the GOP close to going over the ideological cliff, but Ted Cruz reminds me of Major Kong riding a falling hydrogen bomb in the famous movie “Dr. Strangelove.” No single politician wanted it as badly and did more to ensure the government’s shutdown than Ted Cruz. Just like Major Kong, he’s whooping and hollering all the way to oblivion, to the end of the Republican Party – and there’s nothing they can do about it.
