The best thing for the GOP and for the nation is for it to go into that good night, and replace itself with a strong paleoconservative or libertarian party, and leave a party for the Christian fundamentalists, which will only be regionally effective.

The anti-immigration rhetoric of the party, despite John McCain and President Bush’s efforts to the contrary, may end any chance of them to compete for the Latino vote– the fastest growing voting demographic nationally that the Republicans ever had a chance to compete with in foreseeable future.

The Republican efforts to appeal to African-Americans was already largely unsuccessful and was set back by the savage attacks over Rev. Wright. (A story that hasn’t gotten much attention, but I think African-Americans largely didn’t like how the GOP portrayed Obama. Just look at the Powell endorsement.)

Ironically, the attempt to remake the GOP will require a “leap of faith” of the party to be willing to take a step away from the party’s most faithful.

For the first time ever, I found myself agreeing with everything Kevin DeWine said after the election. Nothing does me more pleasure as a Democrat than to see the GOP shreek and recoil at the sage advice of DeWine and Parker.

(rimshot) thanks, I’ll be here all weekend, try the veal.

But seriously, the problem, as I see it, is that their supposedly shrinking evangelical base are the few that can be counted on to really, really, really work their butts off for the GOP candidates.

Tick them off and the “intelligentsia” will have to walk precincts in the rain. Bet they won’t like that.

Also the other problem is this white, married and/or evangelically religious demographic vote like fiends – perhaps the largest percentage-wise of any other demographic group. And their GOTV efforts are unsurpassed – until this election.

So that’s the problem. I don’t think the GOP can wholesale jettison the fundies UNLESS Obama’s first term turns out to be a catastrophe.

The other problem, though, for the GOP is that, of course, they’ll want to broaden their voting base, they really can’t reach out to a lot of the groups they need without making the fundies suspicious and upset. Gay groups? Feminists? Single moms? Please! Might as well try recruiting from the pagan community.

(call me when they get a Pagan Republican caucus – (rimshot) – oh, I kill me! But seriously folks. . . )

(wrapup in somber tones ala Ted Koppel): there are no easy answers here for what some have referred to as ‘God’s Own Party.’ They may be, as one might say, damned if they do. . . and damned if they don’t.

Somebody say amen!