As long as Republicans control state legislatures and can gerrymander 90% Republican districts, we are going to be dealing with this kind of craziness. The only way I see it changing is for the crazy conservatives in these places to somehow see the error in their ways and to stop buying into the horrible, destructive snake oil the Republicans are selling. It's not the "average American". It's the hardcore conservatives in these districts. I just don't see what's going make that happen. The horrible George Bush administration couldn't do it. Economic collapse couldn't do it. Will a government shutdown do it? I just don't know.