Thanks Tamar. Thanks Mike.

Hey, Bill...

It's conceivable you may owe a debt of gratitude to the original poster as well. <s>

I disagree with much of Tamar and Mike's political views - but in the same breath, I'll also say that the Republican party has to assume a large amount of responsibility for creating an environment that led to Obama's win last November.

Just like 1980 saw many "Reagan Democrats" who crossed party lines and voted Republican, I think 2008 will be remembered for "Obama Republicans"...disgruntled moderates who voted for Obama in masses. I have several Republican friends who voted for Obama (and we had many heated debates about it).

That doesn't mean I agree with the choice to vote for Obama, as there were never valid grounds for doing so - but Obama had to carry far more than just the "bleeding heart liberal" vote to win. Sadly, I don't know if the Republican party understands this. There's a belief that the Republicans will take back control in a few years, when Obama fails, and I don't think that's a safe assumption. Obama will fail and fail badly - but even the "fresh faces" of the Republican party (Jindal, Pawlenty, etc.) don't inspire a ton of confidence.

I think I'll faint if I actually see a candidate who leans firmly to the right on the economy and defense, but doesn't bitch about stem-cell research, doesn't try to pound "intelligent design" into schools, and can get past the bad science of Roe v. Wade and defend abortion rights.