Arlen Specter Syndrome Could Spread Like a Republican Flu

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the nation is slowly learning the lesson that is derived from Darwins theory of evolution. It is not what is wrongly ascribed to Darwin namely the survival of the fittest which is not Darwin at all but is the unnecessary comment attributed to Herbert Spencer.The lesson of Darwin is ADAPT OR DIE,And that lesson is so obvious if one regards present experience.The American auto industry refused to adapt and is dying.Simalarly the Republican Party refused to to adapt and is dying.The Presidents call for change is nothing more than the acceptance of that slogan .It is only the hard line unrealistic ideologues who are too blinded by their failed ideology who are unable to see the validity of the slogan Adapt or Die.

morris Berelowitz of CA 12:01PM May 12, 2009

The issue is not that the GOP is as the article defined them (because they have consistently been this fractured right-wing religious/pro-business cult) it is that they can successfully portray themselves as being something more tolerable to the mass audience. After being given (or having usurped) an incredible amount of power their true colors became apparent to even those who truly wanted to believe the GOP public relations machine. However, common sense (or desperation) finally prevailed and the popular vote went to those who actually care something about the middle class. When will they gain power again? Probably when they successfully get their BS pr machine working to convince enough morons to think that they will put their best interests above that of the rich. (i.e. the strategy of presenting Bush II as a regular guy that you "have a beer" with who, of course, turned out to be anything but). After all, that's what has worked best for them so far.

Chicago expat of WI 11:42AM May 12, 2009

the GOP screwed itself : bigoted,racist,homophobic,sexist, paranoid views of the US and the world. Example: that only white,straight,rich republican are right on every issue. They are so wrong. They've drawn a line in the sand and now they want to redraw the line again and again ,to suit their failed policies,beliefs,actions,etc. The extremism that has overtaken the gop is what ruined the party. The TRUE heart and soul of the party is run by cowardly ,scared,small,frightened MEAN ,nasty creepy backward thinking clowns. The GOP thought it would hold onto its base and power ,but screwed itself. Now the gop is getting a big taste of its own medicine .Now it wants change,way too late. The gop= " don't do as we do,do as we say ". The ultimate hypocrites...They dished it out and now they can't take. Couldn't have happened to a more vile group of people.Karma is hell... And delicious to watch the gop implode. The angry white people are self destructing.. And I'm a white middle aged man raised in a republican home...And I'm not Democrat either. Totally unaffiliated. Both parties suck big time. Time for a new third party.

Ed of TX 2:39AM May 12, 2009

Our entire Government is broken including the Republicans AND especially the DEMOCRATS. The country is so desperate for "change" that 53% of you voted MR Obama in office. HMMM, that means 47% at the time DID NOT AGREE with bigger, I'm going to take care of you Government. Hence the huge rift in America.
If you really check the FACTS you will find Clinton/Republican Congress over 8 years increased the US debt by 1.6 TRILLION. No major wars or natural disasters, just spending. Bush increased the US debt 4 TRILLION over 8 years with 911, Katrina, Ike and the biggest spike was after the Democrats took Congress.
I might remind everyone that 7 of those years were economically good AND the US did not suffer ANY further attacks as THREATENED by OUR enemies.
The Obama/Reid/Pelosi Trilogy spent ONE TRILLION IN 3 MONTHS!
Either America has gotten DESPERATELY STUPID or being a Democrat is not a good idea in 2010.
We'll see soon.

Chris Petty of GA 10:36PM May 10, 2009

While there seem to be a hundred different reasons for party switching and etc. Maybe it just comes down to the easiest way to change their image. Pitch in and start doing whats right for America! Has long as they're are seeming to be part of the problem and not the solution they will gain no ground in these days and times. In this time of deep trouble there seems to be a new spirit among Americans that maybe this is the time for change, from everything to our moral outlook to our financial stability. It's a huge task that should have been done but wasn't and now the feeling seems to be lets get to it. The old rhetoric won't work anymore lets get it done, staying in and being seen has the party of No! is not going to win votes, we're all in this together and its going to take ALL of us to get it done. Come om Republicans lets get to it, finding solutions will gain you many more votes than being part of the problem!

Curtis Gwin Jr. of WA 11:43AM May 10, 2009

Were all of you posters asleep during civics class in High school. I was taught that the "Main Purpose of Government is to Re-distribute the Wealth". That way there would be no more "Robber Barons", or class structures set up by "inherited wealth" wherein one class of people, (the poor) were forever ruled by another class of people (the rich). No feudal system for America, and no "monarchy" of "blue-bloods" and no incidences of "let-them-eat-cake" revolutions. The Republican Party was at one time relevant for various reasons, to wit;
1. The population that they appealed to was, by and large, of low intelligence and poor education. They could easily be manipulated for personal gain.
2. That same population group tended to place their faith in a God who loved only America, oh, and pass the ammunition.
3. They had so much trouble making it "on-their-own" that other groups (black, brown, yellow, gay, female, whatever) could easily be scapegoated as the reason for their problems.
What happened was that the American population realized that the GOP mantra of "Let The Buyer Beware", "Less Taxes", "Trickle Down" and "You're On Your Own" wasn't working out very well for them. THE AMERICAN POPULATION GOT SMART! It was a matter of survival, or put another way a matter of "Evolution". The Republicans are truly finished as a political party and they are the only ones who don't know it.

MarcusMACV of CA 12:08AM May 10, 2009

Its not because that dork Spector quit that the GOP that there are problems, it was the excessive spending by the GOP, Bush's total incompetence in everything and the fact that when it comes to a knife fight, the Dems bring a gun and the GOP brings a smile.
The fact is the GOP doesn't really want to win, it wants to be liked. The Dems however don't care if they are liked, they want to win.
Both parties are just plain deceitful and should be eliminated.

tim stevens of AZ 12:02AM May 09, 2009

It's good he jumped ship - before he was thrown overboard. Say Mary Kate, can you swim?

R.L. Schaefer of CA 1:40PM May 08, 2009

Every time a hear that someone is a Democrat, I expect an uneducated, incapable of independent thought, white-hating twit (self-hating for many) who wants to be taken care of by someone else because they are incapable of doing it for themselves. I also expect to find someone who wants to empower the state to the point that their views can be forced on everyone else.
I'm never disappointed!
Im not even a monotheist (Conservative Libertarian agnostic here), but I'd rather have to deal with and live amongst the bible thumpers then the New Marxists crawling out from under their rocks hailing the power of the government.
The first group I find aomewhat annoying but I can deal with it, the second group are why gun and ammo sales are skyrocketing and Im back on the gun ranges with a few hundred thousand other guys brushing up.
Bottom line- it isn't just the Republicans, a social Grand Canyon is opening in this country that doesn't allow for "bipartisanship" because the opposing ideas are inherently exclusive of each other. The only question is if the coming split will be done through a peaceful political process or another civil war.

Jeff of MD 12:14PM May 08, 2009

Of course most conservatives are a little older, duh! Few young people have much clue about anything beyond their Xbox and what they are told by "teachers".
When people are young, stupid, an inexperienced during their college years its quite easy to be liberal- you get to feel good about yourself on somebody else's money while living off of your parents and/or government funds.
Its when they actually start to work for a living and raise a family that reality sinks in. When they see people living off of the government having things that they cannot afford for their kids, they get mad. When they see those who contribute nothing financially liviing off the of tax money that is taken fromr their checks every week, they get mad.
And when that heppens, they become more conservative.
Sounding the death knell of conservativism because lots of parasitic college brats voted for an extremely left wing candidate is premature- they'll swing that much farther the other way when they grow up. Granted a segment will never do so, but most will.

Jeff of MD 12:01PM May 08, 2009