In a way, the mass destruction of the "Sensible wing" of the Republican Party should be a sad thing.
But, we're not exactly the victims of the extinction of the Blue Elephant. In some places, the assumption of power by the right-wing of the Republican will lead to short periods of power for the GOP, but in many cases, Blue Elephants are replaced by Donkeys.
Let's take a look at some of the members of the House considered to be the "Most Liberal" of the GOP and how they fared yesterday, and let's take a look at the options left for those who are in the left-wing of the Republican Party.
Human Events has a list of the "Top Ten RINOs", and eight of them had a role in yesterday's elections.
Representative Jim Leach, opponent of the Iraq War Resolution, was defeated and replaced by College professor David Loebsack yesterday.
Representative Mike Castle was re-elected with 57% of the vote, the lowest percentage Castle has recieved since being elected in 1992.
Governor Mitt Romney was replaced by Deval Patrick yesterday. He didn't even bother to stay around and face the fate of his friends.
Representative Sherwood Boehlert retired and his seat was won by Democrat Michael Arcuri.
Governor George Pataki retired and was replaced by Elliot Spitzer. Pataki leaves behind a party that holds 6 of 29 seats in the U.S. House.
Representative Chris Shays narrowly won yesterday, probably becoming the only Connecticut Republican to win re-election.
Senator Olympia Snowe won re-election easily but is now in a much smaller circle of Republicans.
Senator Lincoln Chafee can go back to being a blacksmith now, as he was defeated by Sheldon Whitehouse.
Other so-called RINOs who lost yesterday include Nancy Johnson and Charles Bass.
Reichert, Fitzpatrick, Simmons, and Wilson could lose as well.
The National Journal list of the 25 'most liberal' Republicans includes Leach, Boehlert, Joe Schwarz, and the six others named above.
At the most, 9 of 25 won't be returning to Washington DC.
If all 9 are gone, then the most liberal Republicans will be Shays, Castle, Ehlers, Illinois Tim Johnson, and Wayne Gilchrest.
The Republican Main Street Partnership has a very accurate name. After all, they're on main street, because they're not getting elected as Republicans.
The RMSP House membership list, with the members who won't return to the 110th Congress crossed out
Charlie Bass, New Hampshire
Judy Biggert, Illinois
Sherwood Boehlert, New York
Mary Bono, California
Jeb Bradley, New Hampshire
Ginny Brown-Waite, Florida
Ken Calvert, California
Dave Camp, Michigan
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Michael N. Castle, Delaware
Thomas M. Davis, Virginia
Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania
David Dreier, California
Vern Ehlers, Michigan
Mark Foley, Florida
Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey
Jim Gerlach, Pennsylvania
Wayne Gilchrest, Maryland
Paul Gillmor, Ohio
Kay Granger, Texas
David Hobson, Ohio
Nancy Johnson, Connecticut
Timothy V. Johnson, Illinois
Sue Kelly, New York
Randy Kuhl, New York
Mark Kirk, Illinois
Jim Kolbe, Arizona
Ray LaHood, Illinois
Steve LaTourette, Ohio
Jim Leach, Iowa
Jerry Lewis, California
Frank LoBiondo, New Jersey
Jim McCrery, Louisiana
Thomas Petri, Wisconsin
Todd Platts, Pennsylvania
Jon Porter, Nevada
Deborah Pryce, Ohio
Jim Ramstad, Minnesota
Ralph Regula, Ohio
Joe Schwarz, Michigan
Christopher Shays, Connecticut
Rob Simmons, Connecticut
Mike Turner, Ohio
Fred Upton, Michigan
Greg Walden, Oregon
James T. Walsh, New York
Curt Weldon, Pennsylvania
Jerry Weller, Illinois
Heather Wilson, New Mexico
49 members, At least 10 of them will not be back for the 110th Congress. 2 more could lose.
We almost defeated 1/5th of the Republican Main Street Partnership. And we came close to getting Gerlach, and Kuhl, and Pryce, and Walsh.
If you're a Moderate Republican, than you're not in a good position, because according to the right, you're to blame for the Republican losses yesterday.
And if you're a Moderate Republican, where do you go for new leadership?
Here's the new Republican House members:
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) supports NARAL and Planned Parenthood 20% of the time, which could get him a spot with the Main Streeters. He also supports labor around 8% of the time.
Vern Buchanan (R-FL) could be a member of the House, depending on some recounts. But, I'm pretty sure he's going to be a lot like Katherine Harris on the issues.
Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Bill Sali (R-ID), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) or Adrian Smith (R-NE) being moderate? Fat chance. Same for "Pro-Life Legislator of the Year" Jim Jordan (R-OH). Same probably goes for Mary Fallin (R-OK) and David Davis (R-TN)
Dean Heller (R-NV) could get a trial membership with the main streeters though.
Nine new Republicans (at the most) and they're not looking moderate.
And the Main Streeters who are holding office are also getting pretty close to retirement as well.
The people elected to Washington DC as members of the Republican are far to the right of average Republicans.
And if you're someone who is a Republican of the Lincoln Chafee variety or the Chris Shays variety, remember that you're not welcome in the Republican Party.
But, you don't have to wilt away and die politically.
There are a lot of people switching to the Democratic Party because they realize that the Democratic Party is closer to them than the current Republican Party.
Some of you might remember this Salon article. It mentions Paul Morrison, Cindy Neighbor, and Mark Parkinson.
They all won yesterday.
Paul Morrison, Dennis Moore, and Kathleen Sebelius all won over 60% in Johnson County as well. But, that's a story for another time.
If you have a friend who is a registered Republican and disillusioned with the state of 'his' party, feel free to mention how the 'Moderates' just got crushed yesterday. Feel free to mention how each and every new GOP Congressman is pretty much a "Bush Conservative".
The Republican Party of Dwight Eisenhower is dead. The old Republican Party of the Northeast is on life support.
The Republican Party is now a mix of Bush Conservatives and Fanatical Government Slashers.
Bush Conservatives are opportunists, they'll talk about fiscal conservatism in the right places, and then they'll run up a huge deficit, they'll talk about cutting government, and then they'll do the opposite, they'll talk about faith issues with the 'values' community, before speaking ill of that group behind it's back.
The Bush Conservatives live on votes from their base and money from contributors.
The Government Slashers are the ones who want to take over control. They're uniting behind Mike Pence. The Government Slashers are the heirs of Reagan. Only they forget how Reagan signed large tax increases and ran up the debt. They're living the idealic dream of how things will be great if they just did things the way that Reagan would do them.
They want to cut education, health care, privatize social security, and basically drown the government.
The Bush Conservatives and The CFG Supporters are going to be on the hunt for their scapegoat, which is the 'moderate' Republican.
Because in their point of view, Jim Leach and the moderates are the reason for their losses. Not Bush, Not Iraq.
Moderate Republicans: You might agree with Bush from time to time. But, your party is not the party that you grew up with.
Main Streeters, you can't save your vision of the Republican Party. You're spitting into the wind.
The results of the 2006 election
Out: Joe Schwarz, Jim Leach, Sherwood Boehlert, Jim Kolbe, Jeb Bradley, Charlie Bass, Nancy Johnson, Curt Weldon, Mike Fitzpatrick
Close to Out: Rob Simmons, Heather Wilson, Dave Reichert
In: Bill Sali, Adrian Smith, Doug Lamborn, Vern Buchanan, Michelle Bachmann.
November 7th changed the Republican Party and took many of it's bright spots away from it.
The Sensible Wing of the Republican Party has been choked purple by the right-wing.
The Blue Elephant is almost extinct.