Not a particularly nice prediction, but what I see as the most likely course at this time.
First, unless something changes dramatically, Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are essentially handing 2010 to the Republicans. Some folk see that as a great good thing, but I remain skeptical. The Republican party, as an organization, shows no signs of "getting it" and the bulk of the Republican folk elected will be RINOs/Country Club Republicans. Instead of heralding a move to conservative/libertarian values, it will instead be treated as another reason to hasten the Republican party's stampede to the left. By 2012 that stampede will be complete and the difference between the two major parties, little enough now, will have completely vanished or even reversed. Yes, I am considering the idea that the Republican party will actually be more leftist than the Democrats as entirely viable.
"Third party" candidates will remain "also rans" except in a few state races having no effect on the national picture.
This may be the only thing that saves Obama's reelection chances. The Republican challenger may well be farther to the left than Obama is, as hard as that may be to believe. In either case, we will be left with a hard-left President. And somewhere around then Washington will stop even paying lip service to the Constitution. Already neither major party cares about the Constitution--they just pay occasional lip service to it and use it as a stick to beat the other party with.
First, unless something changes dramatically, Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are essentially handing 2010 to the Republicans. Some folk see that as a great good thing, but I remain skeptical. The Republican party, as an organization, shows no signs of "getting it" and the bulk of the Republican folk elected will be RINOs/Country Club Republicans. Instead of heralding a move to conservative/libertarian values, it will instead be treated as another reason to hasten the Republican party's stampede to the left. By 2012 that stampede will be complete and the difference between the two major parties, little enough now, will have completely vanished or even reversed. Yes, I am considering the idea that the Republican party will actually be more leftist than the Democrats as entirely viable.
"Third party" candidates will remain "also rans" except in a few state races having no effect on the national picture.
This may be the only thing that saves Obama's reelection chances. The Republican challenger may well be farther to the left than Obama is, as hard as that may be to believe. In either case, we will be left with a hard-left President. And somewhere around then Washington will stop even paying lip service to the Constitution. Already neither major party cares about the Constitution--they just pay occasional lip service to it and use it as a stick to beat the other party with.