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scoundrel,

I realize it must sound preposterous to even think about the demise of the Republicans but, from watching their actions prior to and since the election, I'm beginning to think they may not be able to recover. Its interesting to see the correlations to the British Labour party and maybe the Republicans will turn things around. But they're showing no interest in paying anything other than lip service to their problems. Yes, a very, very few are saying they need to change but their actions belie their words. Just one example of how tone dead they are.

Only a couple of days after they were smacked down in the election, Ohio Republicans introduced a personhood amendment!

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...-abortion.html

Originally Posted by scoundrel

That's the challenge for the US Republicans now. Will they admit, even to themselves, that they misgoverned America so badly that the voters are actively afraid to allow them to govern again?

I think thats what Jindal was trying to say with his speech. But, from his efforts this last week I don't think he believes it himself. He proved to almost everybody, again, that he's a typical Republican trying to destroy the middle class and working poor by getting rid of the Louisiana State income tax and replacing it with a sales tax. Republicans know nothing about progressive taxation other than they don't like it. So Jindal and the Republicans, again, prove they are no friends of the working class.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...uck-with-that/

Or will they continue to offer the medicine as before and tell themselves that next time they must try harder to sell the same old neo-liberal economic policies allied to tax cuts for the rich and spurious foreign wars, paid for by borrowing which future generations will need to repay?

See above. I think its pretty obvious to just about everyone that the same old, same old tax cuts for the rich and bible thumping is their way forward. The only currently elected Republican that "seems" to be bucking that trend is Chris Christie. And who knows how long that will last.

Will they continue to peddle social conservatism, guns, God, no abortion and knee-jerk reactionary little-America grand standing on issues such as immigration and citizenship?

I don't know if you get MSNBC over there but, if you do, try and check out Joe Scarborough in the early a.m. He's a prominent conservative who has been really unhappy with the current situation.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036789/ns..._joe/#50663688

The Republicans have lost touch with their own natural constituencies.

Precisely. Many latinos are pretty conservative and should be aligned with the Republicans but the Republicans now in charge are just like Romney and Ryan; they look down on just about everyone unless they're bank account is in the millions.

One way to save the Republican movement (and actually I think US Democrats should want to save the Republican movement in the interests of plural democracy) would be to make it illegal for God botherers to run for office. Anyone who is a self-professed clergyman (eg the Reverend Pat Robertson) should be disqualified from public office, even as a dog catcher. Any church which donates to any political cause should lose its tax-exemption and be forced to render unto Caesar. These measures would weaken the sclerotic grip of God-botherers on the Republican movement and make it easier for electable candidates to get past the primaries. Romney and Ryan was an extremely socially conservative ticket and went down badly with the voters for precisely that reason; but Romney had a titanic struggle to get selected by Republican party members at grass roots level, who seriously contemplated selecting Rick Santorum. Until it reaches a stage where a candidate like Rick Santorum would be laughed at by the Republican grass roots, the Republican Party will struggle to reach out beyond its own grass roots and appeal to voters who have moderate conservative beliefs.

Great idea but isn't going to happen anytime soon. The "god botherers (like that term)" seem to own the primary process which is why we're seeing all of these incumbents retire and complete whacko's come into the general elections. They won a bit in 2010 but not as well last year. But they've gerrymandered the house districts so well that they should be able to keep the house until 2022 (if they don't totally go bananas).

So I guess the question is, can the Republicans survive if they can't win the Presidency and Senate? Only controlling in the House? Personally, I think they may be dead because they only have old white men and racists remaining. Not going to get far any longer with that constituency any longer.