The Whiffy GOP

I don't have a lot to add to what's already been said below. I'm happy about Obama's win, I'm upset about Prop 8 and that apparently, while we may be "ready" for a POC as President, queer people are still oogy, I'm awed that we finally have a POC as President, I'm amazed by the sheer numbers (mandate THIS, Bush!), I'm overjoyed by the states that "went blue," and holy fucking shit, I can't describe to you how joyful I am to have a person as President that is intelligent, passionate, acts like an adult, and knows how to pronounce nuclear.

On top of all of this, I'm so interested to see what this will mean for the Republican party. I was very intrigued by the opening of McCain's concession speech last night:

Maybe it's just me, but McCain looked completely fed up with his "supporters." As soon as the booing started (stay classy, Republicans!) and he held up his hands, I saw the entire campaign reflected in his face. He looked exhausted. He looked embarrassed. And when the booing began, it seemed to me as if he was mentally removing himself from the people representing the worst in his party; the people he was all too willing to suck up to in order to attempt a win.

He looked embarrassed to be a Republican. It was as if hearing those boos made him finally realize that he had sold his soul.

This morning, when flipping around channels, pundits were buzzing about why McCain lost the election, to my complete lack of shock. Of course, no one could bring themselves to admit that Obama was simply a better candidate, so fingers were pointed at redundant scapegoats like "the economy." If the economy hadn't tanked, apparently McCain would have won. If George Bush wasn't teh suxxors, McCain would have won. Yadda, yadda. But I found it interesting that no one mentioned McCain's campaign. The fact that Mister "Respectful Campain" ran one of the dirtiest, nastiest campaigns in history (and certainly one of the nastiest I've ever seen), and that "the Maverick," who was so proud of going against his party, fell back on tradition and appealed to the worst parts of his party out of desperation, somehow had nothing to do with voters turning away from McCain in droves.

While Republicans desperately push a new pile of bullshit that this election somehow proves that we are a "Center-Right Country," (while simultaneously contradicting themselves) it's becoming more and more obvious that the GOP stinks on ice. Even Republicans are waking up and realizing they need to evolve.

With Democrats expanding their control of the Senate to a solid majority, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (R-NV) is arguing that Senate Republicans need to “re-establish what the Republican Party is all about.” Calling for a return to a “big tent Republican Party,” Ensign says that issues like abortion and gay rights “should not be at the core of the party“:

Of course, in order to evolve, they'll have to get away from those folks that insist evolution is a myth. Har de har.

I wonder what this, apart from the Obama Presidency, means for our country. Will the Republican party split? Will the "true conservatives" go one way while the wingnuts go another? Is this finally the death of the old GOP? During the primaries, there was a lot of wailing going on that the Democratic party was going to somehow splinter and be destroyed. Obviously that hasn't happened, the party has newfound strength, and it's the opposition party that looks as if they're going to have trouble staying together.

It's too early to tell, of course. But I like where this is going.

And meanwhile, the schadenfreude part of me is enjoying that, to the wingnuts, Obama's speech last night probably looked like this:

I'm sick and tired of watching Presidential speeches filled with sick horror; let them quiver for a while.