To put it another way, you think Cain is going to be the "McGovern" for Republicans this year?

:-)

Sorry, Michale, that would be liberals circa 1972, but not that far off from where you pegged them.

-CW

Great...

Now more public employees will have to be laid off so that state governments meet budgets..

But hay!! At least the top 1% of Unions bosses get to keep their cushy salaries and bennies!!

Let's hear it for the 1%!!!!

PPPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Michale.....

In the last elections, you could easily argue that the TP cost conservatives the Senate. Delaware, California, NEVADA, Alaska (ok, half a cost). The kind of candidates that came out of the woodwork were unelectable in any climate. I think the more influential TP background working types are going to try to make sure to limit those types to places where they will do little harm ... like Massachusetts, San Francisco, and Maine. In that respect, the TP has definetly peaked and gone.

The $$ from the TP is not really all that important to the party as a whole. Big Business more than makes up for any losses in that respect, but TP provides a multitude of foot soldiers who stuff envelopes, walk the streets, make telephone calls, etc. The pervasive influence of having to placate the hoi polloi of the right will be long lasting and profound. Citizens United could easily have brought back the influence of the foot campaigns. The actual legacy of the TP will probably be in this.

What happens when they die off, tho is another question.

Not Voting/3rd party: The diehard Paulies could easily sit this one out or vote 3rd party. Remember, they actually HAVE a Libertarian party. They really don't have a dog in this fight and they don't have the social issues problem with Obama and gay marriage. Hard to see any other actual identifiable portion of the R's going this route. No one wants to be the Right Wing Nader.

Voting Only: Social issues predominant voters will definitely vote for anyone other than Obama. But how strongly will they campaign? It's hard to see how they could get excited about Romney. They've already lost DADT and DOMA is on life support. Romney is not going to spend political capital trying to resurrect the dead. And they know it.

Voting with enthusiasm: The business fiscal end of the R's. But then, they're the ones beating the hustings now, and they can't get him above 30% in the pre-primaries.

Maybe that just goes to show what the pre-primaries is worth after all.

Once more unto the breech, eh? Liberals in 1968? Nah, try again. The liberals DID defeat a sitting president of their own party, only to lose to the center right coalition of Humpty and Co. Of course, assassinating the front runner with the organization might have had something to do with that also.

We Are Ohio: "No on Issue 2"
Supporters: 100,267
Talking About: 15,054

Building a Better Ohio: "Yes on Issue 2"
Supporters: 4,627
Talking About: 1,678

The Issue 2 movement here in Ohio had virtually no ground support. I saw 1 yard sign the entire campaign. All of their support was from large money out-of-state donors like American Crossroads or from big money in-state donors.

This is encouraging as in an environment where corporations own the media (all 3 of Ohio's largest newspapers supported Issue 2 - WTF Cleveland Plain Dealer?), strong grassroots organization still enables corporate legislation to be defeated.

-David

Here's a question: do you think the Tea Party is on the wane? Has it "peaked"? I've heard this theory being espoused, but not sure I buy into it yet, personally.

That theory is espoused by the same people who thought the Tea Party was a bunch of racist kooks who couldn't influence a rotten avocado..

The theory is simply more of the same.

Wish-casting....

They were wrong then and they'll be wrong now...

Michale....

The demonization of everything not circa 1934 conservative is bearing fruit. These guys can't see beyond the echo chamber in which they live.

Change '1934 conservative' to '1969 liberal' and your phrase would fit the Left perfectly... :D

Michale......

in truth it seems americans all across the political spectrum are disillusioned by the failure of both parties to serve our interests.

Truer words were never spoken...

David,

I don't think I've ever seen a primary as dysfunctional as this one.

Other than the 2008 Dem one, eh?? :D

Obama and Clinton put these guys to shame...

Michale.....

I'm really not sure Romney is going to win. I think this may be the year the far right finally wins over the Republican party with Cain.

Despite his really awful policy ideas. Then he'll lose the general election when people finally find out how bad his ideas are.

The odd thing is that Republicans are so dissatisfied with the field. You'd think they'd be happy with someone like a Bachmann or a Santorum.

What I think they really seem to want is someone with the core beliefs of Bachmann who can actually come onstage and fool the average voter with his "likability". That's why I think they'll ultimately choose Cain.

But man, they're gonna have to play that "media victim" card really hard.

-David

http://wvgazette.com/News/politico/201110240004

All the polling shows the tea party is a spent force.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/us/politics/05teaparty.html

Yeah, it kind of blew me away, too.

Osborne -

Here's a question: do you think the Tea Party is on the wane? Has it "peaked"? I've heard this theory being espoused, but not sure I buy into it yet, personally.

-CW

"To beat Barack Obama, a candidate must paint a bold contrast with the Democrats on their policies. When Mitt Romney tries, Barack Obama will be able to show that just the other day Mitt Romney held exactly the opposite position as the one he holds today.

Voters may not like Barack Obama, but by the time Obama is done with Romney they will not trust Mitt Romney. And voters would rather the guy they don’t like than they guy they don’t trust."

in truth it seems americans all across the political spectrum are disillusioned by the failure of both parties to serve our interests.

Can I get a Hallelujah?!!!!