How does a political party destroy itself? One way is by causing so much pain in the country that no one will vote for them anymore (except the fanatical utopianists within the fevered ideological bubble, of course). The question now seems to me to be whether the Republican Party can save itself from the Tea Party fanatics before the fanatics create massive pain to the country.
Shut the government down unless they get their way? Stop writing checks for about 30% of government obligations unless they get their way? In a democracy the way you get to get your way is to win elections. The minority doesnt get to force everyone else to give in to their demands by simply sabotaging the very operation of democracy itself.
I have written for some time now that I think the Republicans are destroying themselves. I have been thinking that they would be so discredited in the eyes of the voting public that they would end up in a precipitous decline at the polls. But, I am starting to worry that the way that this may play out is that the fanatics are actually able to get their way and it will create a world wide financial catastrophe and depression.
That would certainly end the Republican Party, but I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope that the Republican Party can marginalize the fanatics before they cause us all that much pain. Let the Tea Party destroy itself by having the Republican Party turn their back on them and get back to the business of doing what they are paid to do, i.e. govern, i.e. negotiate, i.e compromise.
