I have come to realize that the last time we had anything like an opposition party was 1995, and then Timothy McVeigh gelded them.
After that kookbag killed all those people, the Republican opposition just folded, because all the liberal news people were trying to tie them to McVeigh.
I firmly believe that McVeigh got Clinton elected.
At that time, Clinton was in deep shiite as someone (Donna Shalala, I think) in his admin said we didn't send our best and brightest to Vietnam.
All news outlet were consumed with it and his already poor ratings were plummeting.
Then McVeigh did the dirty deed, Clinton blamed it on talk radio and the militias. The rest is history.