LOL - "GOP presidential contenders drift to the right "

WTF - Are they becoming Klingons, now? Is there any room left to maneuver further to the right??

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43218411/ns/politics-decision_2012/

WASHINGTON — In the first presidential election since the Tea Party's emergence, Republican candidates are drifting rightward on a range of issues, even though more centrist stands might play well in the 2012 general election.

On energy, taxes, health care and other topics, the top candidates hold positions that are more conservative than those they espoused a few years ago.

The shifts reflect the evolving views of conservative voters, who will play a major role in choosing the Republican nominee. In that sense, the candidates' repositioning seems savvy or even essential.

But the eventual nominee will face President Barack Obama in the 2012 general election, when independent voters appear likely to be decisive players once again. Those independents may be far less enamored of hard-right positions than are the GOP activists who will wield power in the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and other nominating contests.

edit to offer apologies to whatever has become of Klingon culture since my last intense exposure to Trekiness:

They'd get pulled into it regardless - if they hope to make any progress.

Let the teabaggers push the Republican Party to the point of unelectability. They might not want to admit it, but most of America does NOT want Medicare to become a voucher system, Social Security to be eliminated, the Post Office to be privatized or the United States to default on its debt. They also do not want the rich to receive another tax cut just because there's the off chance one of them might create a job like yacht washer or poodle pooper scooper. Just because the teabaggers are economic terrorists doesn't mean anyone wants those people in office.

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the voters somehow still gave them.

The Republicans are acting with a level of reckless disregard for what the people actually want,
they obviously are not expecting a majority of us to vote for them. Perhaps they have other plans.

Teabaggers control 27 states with a total of 270 electoral votes.

They are already passing voter ID laws everywhere they can. These heavily favor Republicans,
being effectively a poll tax on those who do not have a license to drive.
They can gerrymander the Congressional districts to award more seats to Republicans.
Republican secretaries-of-state can do a Blackwell on the central tabulators.
Republican takeovers of Democratic stronghold cities can place the mechanics of the election
entirely in Republican control. Expect Democratic precincts to be delivered only a few,
broken voting machines, while Republican precincts get more than they need.

In the Presidential race, the Republican legislatures can simply set aside the popular vote and
award the electoral votes to the Republicans.

Kinda pitiful really.