Griper Blade: An Unchanging GOP in a Changing America

You might've noticed that the Republican party is in a bit of a pickle right now. Down in the polls to the point that 38% of Republicans have a negative view of the party, things aren't really looking bright. Those numbers come from a new Gallup poll that shows just how bad things are for the Grand Old Party these days.

"Although it is generally well-known that the Republican Party has an image problem today (after all, the Democrats have control of the White House and both houses of Congress), these findings reinforce the depth of that problem by pointing out the degree to which Republicans themselves have a lower opinion of their party than Democrats do of their party," Gallup's report said. "The only saving grace, perhaps, is the finding that Democrats are slightly more positive in their opinions of the Republican Party than is the case the other way around."

"Slightly" doesn't really mean much -- 78 percent of Democrats view the GOP unfavorably, while 85 percent of Republicans look across the aisle and see suck. This is what you call "deep division." A new era of bipartisanship doesn't really look very likely. Still, some look at this and see not a long and bitter battle for the political center (which Democrats currently own), but the dawning of a glorious new Republican Golden Age.

"I really believe we've got a shot at taking back this House because you see what's gone on here with the unfettered ability of this administration and Nancy Pelosi to run this Congress," House GOP #2 Eric Cantor said earlier this week. "The American people see that this agenda is way far out of the mainstream. They want a check and a balance on this power. And I think at the end of the day that's what rules come November 2010." Personally, I speculated that Cantor's on drugs. This would be a 40 seat switch in the GOP's favor, at a time when few people identify themselves as Republican... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]