Here is what looks likely. The bankruptcy expert will get crushed in November. Because of this, the Republicans will lose the Senate. But thanks to gerrymandering, the GOP holds an insurmountable 60-seat lead in the House of Representatives. And the House is where most of the true crazies calling themselves Republican preside. This is the group that has the maturity of a ten-year-old, as evidenced by their collective choice to pout and obstruct. I still wonder how a strange mutation of a human being like a Trey Gowdy can ever get elected. But I digress.
Meanwhile, you see a pitiful core of the Republicans. They twist and turn and contort themselves in backing Trump but swearing not really and then act like this crap is fooling anyone. Do they really think any Hispanic or African American or Muslim over 35 will ever again vote Republican after the xenophobic racist nominee the party put forward this election? I write “over 35” because the reality tv star is polling between 10% – 20% with those younger than that.
The Republicans’ only chance is to cut out the cancer now. Make no mistake; recovery will take some time and it will be painful. But the party will live to not just see another day, but to win another day. This means the GOP needs to be willing to lose some more elections, initially, so that they can rebuild what was once a vibrant, idea-based party. The GOP needs to tell all its birthers, all its anti-science zealots, all its haters; it is time to go. The Republicans need to have the courage — yes, courage — of a George H.W. Bush who was willing to lose his Congressional seat in the south by backing the Civil Rights bill. Or as president by backing extremely unpopular new taxes when the country needed the money. Or for W. to publicly embrace and support Muslims immediately after 9-11. Or his efforts saving millions of lives in Africa. Or for his brave attempt at immigration reform.
Republicans desperately need to step up and show courage in their convictions. If not, we’ll look back at today’s soulless and unprincipled political machinations of a Paul Ryan, a Mitch McConnell and, sadly so, even a John McCain, as the lasting epitaph for what (can you believe it?!) was once the party of Lincoln.