X-posted to my own blog
It’s been a long time since America had more than two viable political parties, and since those two parties were the Republican and Democratic parties. It’s time for that the change, but while many people I know have long hoped for the rise of the Green Party, I do not think this is the most likely scenario.
The Republican party has lost its iden y. Like it or not, Sarah Palin is the face of the new Republican party. Anti-intellectual, xenophobic, conservative in every sense of the word, change-resisting. That is not the same Republican party that backed Lincoln back in its founding days, and it’s not even the same party as Reagan, and it’s certainly not the same party as Barry Goldwater.
I think it’s time for those fiscally conservative, socially tolerant Republicans to step up and officially leave their party. Perhaps they need to band together with the Libertarians. Perhaps they need to form their own party. But I think this is the bold new move that will change the political landscape, and make Sarah Palin a lot less relevant. And honestly, I may disagree with this segment of the population about how our nation’s financial resources should be spent (health care versus bombs) but I could imagine putting aside these disagreements at times and supporting candidates from this new party.
I honestly think that if Obama wins - and polls indicate he will - something like this will happen. The Republican party is close to imploding. And I think it’s exactly what needs to happen.