The Conserva-Schism Is Not The "End Of The GOP"

I'm with Steve M. on this one:  the only people who believe that this shutdown debacle is the "end of the GOP" and the beginning of a libertarian-ish third party in this country are libertarians who don't seem to understand that the volcanic rancor various factions of the GOP have for a black Democrat in the White House (or any Democrat, but especially that one) will always exceed their own differences.  They are forever united by hatred, and always will be, as Steve points out:

Trust me, these folks are going to work this out. First of all, crazy-base disappointment with the GOP is not exactly new. Crazy-base voters thought John McCain was a pathetic RINO. Did they bolt for a third party? No. They felt the same way in 2012 about Mitt Romney. Did they bolt then? No. They never bolt, because they hate liberals, Democrats, and the Democratic voter base as they perceive it (i.e., non-white moochers) far more than they hate one another.

And they've been disappointed for years anyway -- abortion is still legal, government is still (in their eyes) big and socialist, America is still (in their eyes) perpetually under assault by gays, Christian-bashers, gun-grabbers, etc., etc.

And unlike Democrats in 2010, the notion of Republicans sitting at home in fits of pique while the other party gets elected will motivate the GOP to go to the polls in 2014, mainly because of that "united by hatred" thing.  The only question is whether or not there will be enough Democrats who turn out to counter them.  That's really the only question in voting politics these days.  When Democrats show up, they win.  When they don't, America hands the keys back to the drunk drivers in the GOP.

Look at the last 20 years.  The 95-96 shutdown cost Newt Gingrich his speakership and then impeached Clinton over a blowjob, but the GOP held on to the House for another decade and got the White House back four years later.  Show me the part where the shutdown back then was a loss for the GOP, because when the smoke cleared from the 2000 elections, America had given them total control of the country, and then they brought around two ridiculous wars and a financial catastrophe, and ten years after Bush was appointed POTUS by the Supremes, we sat on our asses and gave the GOP not only the House but a majority of state governments to boot.

Where's the point where the GOP is "losing" here?  Suddenly, NOW is the end of the GOP?

Now if we throw the GOP out of the House in 2014, that will be the start of something, but will we do that given all this horrific history of GOP "rule"?

Since we keep putting ourselves back into this situation, I'm going to say "probably not."