Your longterm predictions for post - Nov. 4, 2008

[wyldwolf]

Here's mine:

If 2006 was a thumpin', then 2008 will be a political realignment - a force not seen in American politics since 1932 when Franklin Roosevelt crushed Herbert Hoover and the Democratic party picked up 12 Senate seats and the Republican party lost 100 House seats. If all goes as expected next Tuesday, the American people will have thoroughly rejected the poisonous politics instigated by so-called "Christians" and liberals will be declared the winners of the "culture wars."

This will lead to...

1. Republican Party leaders thought to be more centrist will tell the religious right to sit down and shut up.

2. The relatively small ranks of organized moderate Republicans will expand and use the Democratic Leadership Council as their model. (there have been calls for this since 2006.)

3. Ultra-conservative Republicans will filter out. Many will attempt to hijack the Libertarian party. Others will choose their more natural home, the Constitution party. This will splinter the right wing vote.

4. Many "Reagan Democrats" will continue their journey home, further diluting the "Reagan Revolution."

5. Democratic presidents will preside over a contentious yet unified coalition of Democrats - much like FDR's coalition - for at least 4 presidential election cycles, partly because the the GOP won't be able to regroup and re-brand for a while.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I think you've pretty much nailed it

I would add that Obama will encourage the Senate and House to work with the few moderate Republicans still in Congress to pass legislation so that it can be tagged as "bipartisan". Obama will have some Republican advisers, for the same reason. My sincere hope is that, while doing this, he does not turn a cold shoulder to courageous Congressmen such as Dennis Kucinich who have held aloft the light of hope during the darkness of the Bush Administration.