Palin

In light of the newly released investigative report on Palin (I've skimmed through it and read the conclusions), it's pretty safe to say Obama is likely to win in a landslide. He's now ahead in West Virginia. West Virginia! McCain is forced to back-track on his smear campaign, and for the next 25 days he will have to play defense over Palin's ethical violations.

What does this mean for the republicans? The republican party will likely have 1 more chance in 4 years to redeem their party. If Obama is seen as a popular president 4 years from now, the republican party as we know it is dead. The only way they can survive under those conditions is by undergoing a MAJOR overhaul, and the only popular leader in the republican party that is capable of doing that is Ron Paul.

I'm not one of those Ron Paul fanatic bloggers. I obviously support Obama, but I think Ron Paul appeals to the historical libertarian base of the republican party, a demographic that is currently completely ignored by the deomocrats and republicans. I know I would have a difficult decision to make between, say, Hillary Clinton and someone like Ron Paul.

The other possibility (if a libertarian republican isn't selected) is that the republican brand will so be maimed that they would die and be replaced by a third party, likely either libertarians or green party. While elections between democrats and green party candidates would be interesting, unless public perception changes dramatically over the next 8 years, about 33% of the nation will not be represented, so I see that as unlikely. I really think if the republicans don't take back the white house in 4 years, there will be a strong libertarian movement, and the republican party, as in the tradition of Regan and both Bushes, will be dead.

-PHtC