There is a certain pallor evident among my Republican neighbors these days. I live in a "red" area in a "blue" congressional district so my Republican neighbors usually tend to be more demonstrative of their candidate preferences.  My state representative lives in the same block so his signs are always everywhere but this year I'm seeing a reduced enthusiasm for posting McCain signs. It seems that only when someone feels bold enough to put up an Obama sign do my Republican neighbors feel they must react and put up a corresponding McCain sign. I guess they are afraid that if the Obama sign goes unanswered someone might get the wrong impression about their "redness". People seem to be allowed to put up signs for other Democratic candidates but if the Obama sign goes up there has to be a response. 

I've seen blog posts and heard statements about the possible demise of the Republican party if McCain takes a serious beating. I've even written one myself - but on further consideration I think that rumors of the GOP's death are premature. Don't forget the saying that all politics are local. My neighbors are still going to be Republicans.  Even if they don't have a viable national organization they will still have a strong local voice and push for local Republican candidates....maybe.

I suspect that the only thing that would really drive a stake in the GOP's heart is a rupturing along regional and/or ideological lines.  McCain will be the goat and catch the blame for a loss even though he is only partially responsible (exit McCain).  Sarah Palin is a schemer and back-stabber. She has already taken shots at McCain.  She seems to be driving a wedge into the GOP with the religious warriors and Kulture Kossacks lining up behind her. If there ends up being a "Palin wing" of the party I would expect a struggle to develop for party control.  Much of the rest of the GOP is appalled at Palin's selection and her mis-underperformances.  She is viewed as a disaster.  When McCain is tossed aside, Palin and George Bush will be the GOP's only shining stars.  At some point somebody (Romney, Thompson, Giuliani, Schwarzenegger, or who???) will try to start a parade of rational GOPers away from the Palin camp, tiptoe past the McCain debris and back to planet Earth.   Where Bush lands in all this rubble might be the key to holding things together but I don't see him as a big unifying presence. I'm really wondering what the individual state GOP organizations would do. There are some very loose cannons at that level. Things could get pretty unsettled in my neighborhood if the national GOP ruptures.    OK, I'll vote for that.