A John McCain win in November would be the worst loss Republicans have endured in decades, Peter Beinart writes in Time. On the other hand, an Obama win—and subsequent torrent of liberal legislation—would reinvigorate demoralized Republicans. If McCain takes the White House, he will likely compromise with Democratic lawmakers and rob the GOP of its conservative fervor.
“The bald reality is this,” Beinart writes. “American politics is moving left no matter who wins in 2008. The real question is whether Obama becomes the face of that leftward shift—which will remind Republicans why they loathe Democrats—or McCain does, in which case Republicans will increasingly loathe themselves.” (More party politics stories.)