Two weeks from today, Democrats either win their biggest landslide in three decades (since Watergate) or Republicans celebrate the biggest upset since Truman-Dewey. Either way, both parties will quickly see a war between their respective bases and everybody else.

Here are the scenarios:

• Win or lose, Democrats will start debating What It All Means for 2008. Specifically, adopt the Clinton Triangulation strategy of reaching for the middle? Or steal a page from Karl Rove’s playbook and Rally the Base? (For a good analysis on these two strategic approaches, read the new book The Way to Win.)

• If Republicans lose, do Bush and Rove lose the remarkable loyalty they have commanded since 1999? And who will the GOP turn to: Clintonians (in strategy) like Guiliani and McCain? Or whoever is left on the Right?

• If Republicans pull out a victory, Bush and Rove go down in political history as the most skilled (or lucky) strategists of our time.

• And Democrats will proceed to cut their own throats – and anybody else’s within reach.

Click to Read & Post Comments