Here's my prediction: There will be a backlash alright..against BOTH parties

[Ardent15]

Many of the Dems who supported this bad bill will be primaried. Some of those will be defeated, and some of the primary challengers will win Congressional seats. I also believe that most of these primary challengers will be liberals, not conservatives.

The Republicans are dead. They have no momentum, and their reasons for voting against the bill were absolutely disgusting.

So, the Democratic Party will hopefully be made stronger by becoming less corporatist and more progressive, and the Republican Party will be further marginalized.

Maybe this is a pipe dream, but we'll see.

[valerief]

1. Oh, they'll suspend NORAD and knock down a few office buildings way before that happens. nt

[Frances]

2. We should keep pushing for more progressive stands

But we need to prove that taking those progressive stands won't mean defeat for our candidates. In other words, we need to donate time and money to the progressive candidates.

When Clinton was elected President, he inherited a huge deficit. He asked Dems to do the right thing and vote for a small tax increase to pay down the deficit. The Dems did and the deficit disappeared. However, many of the Dems who voted for the tax increase were defeated in the 1994 election.

SO--we voters have to do our part too.

Edited to add the 1994 election.

[Xipe Totec]

3. That is certainly a reasonable way to settle this disagreement

I certainly support getting more progressive candidates on the Democratic ballot.

[napi21]

4. I don't think so. A year from now, if unemployment remains

high, voters will have forgotten about the HC bill and will punish all incumbants.

[Odin2005]

5. Methinks the GOP will die and the Democratic Party will split.

[chimpymustgo]

6. Sounds like a good plan.

[Skidmore]

7. And Ralph will sweep in to fill the void unless Sarah and her Teabaggers

are able to get there first....

[salguine]

8. I don't think that would be such a bad thing. Nobody ever

caught Ralph sucking the corporate dick. How many of our selfless Democrats in Congress can you say that about? How many hands would it take to count them on? One? I'm guessing one.