It looks like the newest Grand Bargain might once again fail to pass the house, and with good reason. It's becoming all the more apparent that one crucially important group isn't being represented when congressional leaders meet: The Tea Party.
In our current structure of majority and minority, this new third party lacks that negotiating power to influence the discussion, but has a stranglehold on the passage of bills. And with this position, they've held both the less-radical members of the GOP and the entire American economy hostage. This coup d'état is indicative of a growing fissure within the Republican party. It is the Tea Party living up to its name, openly revolting over their lack of representation within the GOP, and much like the Tea Party of 1773 led to a new country, this revolt has only one unavoidable conclusion: the formation of a new conservative party.
Although they formed as an anti-liberal voice, the Tea Party has truly become a greater threat to the Republicans than the Dems. If they do break away, conservative voters will be forced to choose between two candidates, whereas liberals can still muster the support to get behind one. Splitting the vote will make it impossible to compete on the national stage, and could cause serious complications in local races. It's not impossible to imagine a conservative part of the country electing a liberal because of a tight race between two conservative candidates.
What does this mean for the country? In the long run, it means a better position for liberals. In the short term, however, while the Tea Party clings to their GOP roots, we can expect this infighting and stalling to be an ongoing affair.