The Future of the Republican Party

The Republican Party is in shambles. It lost the White House. It lost more seats in the Senate and the House. The McCain campaign is now blaming Sarah Palin for its struggles. And, it appears that there's no way out.

Don't panic, fellow conservatives. Six short years ago, the Democrats were in the same boat. Bush was president and wildly popular (yes, six short years ago, he was). The 2002 elections were an absolute landslide for the Republicans. And, Democrats were shaking their heads wondering where to look for some help. Keep this in mind: six years ago, none of you had ever heard of Barack Obama.

So, where do the Republicans go from here? I'll tell you where they won't go...Sarah Palin. I think she'll never be heard from again. I don't think that's fair, but I think it's true. McCain's chance at the White House is gone, so it won't be him in four years. Who will it be?

In 2012, I suspect you'll hear a lot about Tim Pawlenty (Gov. - Minn.) and perhaps Mitch McConnell (Sen. - Ken.). I'd also like to see Mitch Daniels (Gov. - Ind.) in the mix. A lot of people think the future of the party lies with Bobby Jindal (Gov. - La.). Jindal is only 37 years old though, so 2012 might be a bit ambitious.

I think the Republican Party will be just fine. I think it will gain some seats back in 2010 based purely on the fact that Americans typically don't like all the power in one party. In 1994, Clinton lost seats in Congress despite being extremely popular. I think the GOP will have a very difficult time winning in 2012 regardless of who runs. Obama is too smart to do anything in his first four years that might cost him a second four. BUT, I think by the time 2012 rolls around, the Republicans will have more seats in Congress and won't be seen as the mess that people think of right now.

The bottom line is that this is all cyclical. Reagan was unbeatable in 1984. Eight years later, Clinton took over. Clinton was unbeatable in 1996, but four years later, Bush won. Now, Obama wins easily. The days of one party being in control for decades at a time are over. The GOP is a disaster right now, but give it a few years. Just remember, in 2002, no one thought the Dems. could recover. Now look where we are today.