It is the reason we lost last November, and will continue to lose.
The Dem's have their own mob, but they were not hurt nearly as much, as a direct result of being the minority. But they will begin to feel the effects of their mob as political mistakes begin to pile up like cord wood. by 2014, they should be ready for a political defeat again.
The answer to longevity politically is to regain control over the mob mentality and return to political compromise. This will strengthen the base and lead to winning.
Anything short of that will guarantee more failures, and believe me when I say that you have not yet felt the pain that will come if this crap does not stop. I think it may be far to late to save 2008, but I still hang on to a bit of hope that some force or event will intervene to change the dynamic.
Having said that, nothing can change permanently without the understanding that the party brought defeat on it's self. And it is still doing it.