...prove they don't suck anymore?"  Parties _have_ resurrected themselves before.  The Democrats were DOA in 2002 and 2004.  Politicians have resurrected themselves before also--Nixon, Howard Dean, Al Gore, Trent Lott come to mind (I know, not all textbook examples).  Celebrities have made-over their images also, from Rob Lowe to Marv Albert to Mickey Rourke to Robert Downey, Jr.  So it can happen if the entity in question is honest about what they have done, is humble, and shows that he/they can do a professional, helpful job.  The Republican party isn't continuing to meander in exile because there is no blueprint for success, but because they don't have any intention of following (or don't know how to follow) the blueprint.  Instead of humility and competence, they are putting up terrible candidates with hostile and/or lunatic ideas whose resume does not imply a professional, problem-solving term of governance if they are elected.  Why are they masochistically doing this?  Because they apparently believe that adherence to the shrill, exclusionary agenda of their movement is the most important thing--more important than knowledge of issues, aptitude, communication skills or politesse.  In short, the Republicans in leadership positions suck because...they suck, not because they don't have boundless opportunities to get their acts together.  Maybe they didn't tie themselves to the anchors of the worst administration of all time and then the worst VP candidate of all time out of political convenience or an overdeveloped sense of solidarity or even out of bad habit--maybe they just don't know any better.

by Milltycoon on 05/06/2009 02:08:03 AM EST