I hope you are right (and I wrong). But I’ll put my money on me rather than you.
1980 was a President, not a party.
As far as 2002, I thought that the pundits pontificating on permanent minority status for the Dems were full of it then. And the reason I did was I fully expected the Republicans to do what they have done. Crap on those that brought victories in 00 and 02. And, incidentally, kept the party alive during the dark years.
Even a dynamic candidate (not looking good there) and a victory in 08 (who knows?), will not change the party apparatus and leadership anymore than it changed when Reagan was in office. IMO, they tolerated Reagan because they had to, but never embraced conservatism. Both Bush Presidencies have demonstrated that.
And Florida’s changing demographics do not bode well for the GOP going Pubbie in national elections much longer.
Ah well, we will see, won’t we? Bush will continue shiating on us in his quest for integrating Mexico into the US. Does anyone seriously believe he will now start enforcing the law and guarding the border? I don’t.
Thankfully, neither will his pro life position (guess all the border only people forgot about those positions/ex orders) or his judges, or his tax cuts, or his prosecution of the WoT.
And you could just as easily say that 1980 (where we did get a Senate win a few years later) just laid the groundwork for the 1994 House takeover.
As for "fully expecting," blah, blah, that's just "I-told-you-so" covering your butt pessimism. You can never be wrong, so there will never be any evidence that will convince you.