With the losses in Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as the large number of retiring Republicans, it seems to me it could be much worse than that.
The GOP has no one to blame but themselves, as well as a pathetic lack of leadership in a party that holds the White House and, less than two years ago, held both houses of Congress as well. By indulging in an orgy of government largess, the Republican Party compromised its long-term message in exchange for short term political gains. Now that it’s time to pay the piper, an embarrassing number of Republicans in Congress have decided to retire rather than face the voters.
The Republicans will be fortunate to keep the losses under 20 seats. Regardless, if the party doesn’t get new leadership and a new message before 2010, then it won’t look like the GOP of the 60s and 70s, but rather then 30s and 40s. The leadership isn’t going to come from the White House, either, regardless of who wins in November, so someone else is going to have to step up.
Unfortunately, no one springs to mind.
The new leaders are going to have to come out of nowhere. The GOP as we know it, is a spent force.