What could it all mean?

[OmahaBlueDog]

IF the baggers all or mostly get beaten by Dems in November:

1) Do the baggers "mainstream" their message to get broader appeal in 2012 ...or
2) Do they stay the course, but throw their support behind an "electable" candidate like Christie, Romney, or Pataki......or
3) Do they take their ball and go home. Form a third party, and run Palin for President and a whole slate for Senate and House seats in 2012.
4) Would this increase or decrease the chance for Barack Obama to be re-elected?

OTOH

IF the baggers all or mostly beat Dems in November:

1) Does that automatically mean Palin is the nominee-presumptive?
2) What do candidates like Kay Bailey Hutchison, who will certainly be primaried in 2012, do?
3) Would this increase or decrease the chance for Barack Obama to be re-elected?

[Ozymanithrax]

1. If the baggers lose, I think they split the Republican Party...

If they win, heaven help us. They rule the Republican Party.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

[DJ13]

2. Losing will only harden their positions

They already purge those they deem not sufficiently Christo-fascist enough.

That means they wouldnt dare try to draw in moderate Republicans just to win because their base would throw out anyone who dared to propose it.

[grantcart]

3. It is more basic than that

It means that the Republican Civil War will go unabated until they go through a new primary season and get a new leader, then most of them will fall in line but those who feel betrayed will leave in disgust and put their energies into their Churches and their local races.

The result will be by the end of the 2012 election the Republican Party will be further to the right and seriously weakened have experienced years of intercine bitter party infighting.