The Republicans are in trouble. They have been held together for the last four years by their hatred of President Barack Obama.
Their determination to deny him a second term is the glue that has prevented them from fragmenting. Now that President Obama is a lame duck, this action plan is no longer viable and they will have to find another common enemy to gather around.
Candidates exist for this role: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, for being too moderate, or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for being insufficiently loyal. But it is doubtful that their value as hate objects will last the needed four years and some other figure will have to be found.
We are likely to see Rush Limbaugh, Fox News commentators and other Republican apologists thrashing about for some time trying to find a target that sticks.
The alternative could be a new leader rising from the Republican ranks. This leader could be compelling enough to bring them together. Since this election has proven the party's extremists do not have country-wide appeal, this leader will have to be a moderate. But this is also unlikely to happen because extremists have driven moderates out of the party, even at the cost of losing elections.
When the party's leaders decided four years ago to set their course on obstruction rather than participation in governing, they dug themselves quite a hole. In the long run, we may hope that good sense will prevail. We may hope that Republicans will return to the task of governing.
ANTHONY G. HARDY
East Greenbush