PA Senator Arlen Specter switched parties yesterday and is now officially a Democrat and probable Kingmaker in the Senate (presuming Al Franken actually gets to be a Senator at some point in time.) What this means? Probably not much in the long run... the GOP is bleeding voters right now, according to a new poll only 21% identify themselves as Republicans- and Specter was not doing well in primary polling against a hard-right Conservative opponent in PA for next year.
In other words: survival!
But what does this mean for the GOP: well, as always with Washington D.C., it doesn't matter how much you polish a turd, it's still a turd. The Democrats may not be everybody's cup of tea, but the big problem for the GOP from where I'm sitting is this: if you promise one thing when you want power and do exactly the opposite when you're in power then how can voters believe that you've really changed? Preaching the same old message of small government and social issues may resonate with the traditional base, but to the voters at large, they've heard it all before. There's nothing new or different with the GOP and they need a complete reinvention if they want to really take back power and reinvigorate conservatism as a posed to taking power by default when the Democrats screw things up.
Both options may be preferable if you're a Republican, but as an independent voter and more importantly as an American- I'd prefer the former to the latter. I want meaningful conservatism and liberalism that isn't mired in the tired old tropes of the past (which it is-but that's another story!). If I must put up with this narrow, decrepit, fantastically annoying two party system, then dammit, it should be ideologically vigorous and more than just pale, superficial and generally useless.
No matter how much you polish a turd, it's still a turd- I'd really like to trade my turd in for something a little better.
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