Objectively: Put yourselves in the RNC shoes for a moment

[OmahaBlueDog]

1. The debate went OK, but wasn't a breakout
2. The veep debate is coming up, and if past performance indicates future results, that may not go too well.
3. The convention bounce evaporated pretty quickly.

Obviously, you're waiting for Monday's 3-day average to see what the debate really did. If Obama's lead is the same or grows, what does the RNC do?

[11 Bravo]

1. I voted for what they always do, find a wedge issue and beat it to death.

[cali]

2. I voted for the first option. The House and Senate are even more hopeless

for the pukes.

[colonel odis]

3. start thinking about 2012.

mccain's candidacy is his Bob Dole Moment. he's a thorn in their side. his own party hates him. but, by god, he's been determined to run for president.

so give him the nomination in a year when it would almost be impossible for the republicans to win and get him out of the picture forever. republicans may be shitheads, but a lot of them do have some smarts. and they're smart enough to know they sure as hell don't want a psycho idiot like sarah palin in the white house.

mccain's their sacrificial lamb. and the really pitiful part is he's just figured it out. that's why, i think, he's been scrambling so badly this week.

romney/jindahl will be their ticket in 2012, perhaps.

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. I almost put that as an option

Their field for '12 will include Jindal, Jeb, maybe Charlie Crist, mabe Rick Perry, and maybe David Petraeus.

IF we win, and IF we make the anticipated gains in congress, there is going to be a brawl in the RNC for control and direction of the party.

[colonel odis]

13. i'd love to see a republican party unite behind a person of south asian descent.

(isn't that what jindahl is?) their lily-white sphincters would be so puckered up they'd have to reupholster every chair in the GOP.

jeb -- i'd be amazed if anyone named bush could run for dog catcher in this country and win.

crist -- florida's a mess.

rick perry -- texas. see how good our last president from texas was?

petraeus .... interesting.

i'm still betting on mittens for 2012.

[Captiosus]

4. Even though they love the wedge issues, I voted for option 2

Mainly because, strategically, that's what I would do.

I would significantly cut the money going to the McCain camp and tell John, "Sorry, man, you just couldn't get your campaign to fire on all cylinders. All this reorganization and floundering about made it nigh impossible to gain traction beyond where you are."

I would then reinvest the money into contested Congressional seats in the hope that I could start a media blitz over the next 38 days that shifts House congressional power. Constantly dumping money into the McCain campaign ultimately hurts every other republican candidate who relies on the RNC.

In other words:
Hey, RNC, trickle-down, doesn't even work for your party financing!

[vaberella]

6. I say cutting losses and helping the poor schmoes fighting in the House.

Already the Repubs lost the House and the government overall. I'd try to stay state wide to keep some influence going.

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. Off the top of my head, I can think of 5 Senate seats they could probably save with more cash

North Carolina
New Hampshire
Minnesota
Oregon
Alaska

If they lose the WH and all 5 of these Senate seats (along with the seats we already know they'll lose), they are in trouble for years (even if they take back the WH in '12). I think I might financially focus on tose 5 seats if I were them.

[mucifer]

7. you left out throwing more effort into stealing the election by illegal means.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. I'm still pulling up the bootstraps on my Republican shoes

These shoes look old fashioned and out of date, and for some reason I suddenly want my own government health care, but I feel it's too expensive for others. I notice the bootstraps are longer than my Democratic shoes though.

OMIGOD!! Now my shoes are trying to kick innocent people who had nothing to do with my problems, and the bootstraps broke off in my hands, leaving me holding two worthless pieces of leather while my Republican shoes run fullspeed toward a cliff!

Arrrgggghhhhh!
Must. Remove. Republican... Shoes.

There, that's better. Whew!
Now, what's that about a poll?

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. I never said the shoes were comfy

[AlCzervik]

10. 2 and 3.

[grantcart]

12. I would sit on the money until Friday and then when it is clear that this campaign is now over

spend in Senate campaigns where they still have a chance

[Danger Mouse]

14. mittens and huck will be back in 2012. McCain and Palin will not be.