BillB: The population has changed and I don’t foresee a conservative (presidential) win in the future. The urban areas outweigh the rural areas by ha-huge margins and the minority voters have unified into a majority. I think the peak has been reached for conservatism. I’m not giving up, just realizing our place in the world is diminishing to vocal minority status. Historically speaking, it is normal progression.

Question: Has the Tea Party become an albatross for national Republicans? Or are national Republicans on the decline toward permanent minority status, with or without the Tea Party?