Specter Defects

Specter's defection to the Democratic party isn't totally surprising to me, although I think it says less about the greatness of the Democrats than it does about the current suckiness of the Republicans. As long as the GOP wants to rule from the far right of their party they will continue to alienate the majority of Americans. As long as they think putting people like Palin at the front of their leadership -- someone who is generally unqualified but fits the rigid social/religious requirements of the wingers -- they are doomed. As long as the Republican party continues to represent a dictatorial do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do standard, they are doomed. As long as they focus on catering to the whims of the (diminishing) southern white population, they are doomed. And as long as they cling to failed or outdated ideologies and chant them like a mantra while ignoring contraindicating facts, they are doomed.

Not that I mind any of this since the modern GOP has become anathema to me.

I do feel a certain regret, however, since a strong GOP challenge would keep the Dems on their toes. A weak opposition party challenge is historically proven to result in a self-indulgent ruling party. I also feel a little concerned by the hysterical tone and tenor of those wingers who feel threatened by the loss of power within their party... the bizarre fixation on guns (the need to amass them, flex them, paranoid rantings about how Obama is going to take them, bbb), the need to participate in exaggerated "Socialist!" rhetoric, the whole idea that Obama is a Manchurian candidate (or God forbid, the anti-Christ). The nutso-ness of some of these people is getting a little scary to me. With Faux News egging them on by scapegoating groups like ACORN (a relatively powerless acronym if ever there was one) and urging "revolution" (picture Glenn Beck with tears streaming down his cheeks, crying over the death of his country while simultaneously insisting that his followers "surround them"), I am worried about what the more unstable of this group might do.

Regardless, to this iteration of the Republican party (now in its death throes), I say: Good riddance.