The End of the GOP?

Krugman has an excellent column today on the future of the Republican Party in the wake of (their anticipated) defeat in tomorrow’s election. It is interesting to reflect on the potential for real transformation in a party system since it doesn’t happen frequently, at least in former British Colonies. Fortunately, I finished reading Churchill’s History of the English Speaking People on the weekend, so I’ve had a bit of a primer on political party transformation.

Based on the historical examples parties have been broken on the basis of a change in global structure. In England, during the initial breaking of the Monarchy’s power and at the end of the Victorian era, it was the parties which realized where the future was taking their country, while the other, blind to the new reality, or with the vain hope of protecting the established system, clings to their old policies and beliefs.

Krugman I think it right to point out that the Republican’s are divided like this. The “Real America” part of the party has little concept of how the world has changed, and what America’s place in it should be. This leaves the Democrats able to pick up large portions of the electorate, while the Republicans attempt to reorganize. Perhaps reorganization under the GOP banner will be impossible. If we are in fact past the era of ideological parties it will be interesting to see how pragmatic technocratic parties will organize themselves.

If we thought there was little difference between parties now, just wait!