You started with a reasonably cogent observation about the balance of forces in a healthy civilization, Tech. Too bad you went right off the rails with the partisan blather.

You made things ridiculously complicated trying to make the irrational case for Rightism starting from a rational premise, when simple logic and common sense reveals the truth. It's simply vector arithmetic: If the conservative vector is stronger than the progressive vector, a civilization is retarded by conservatism and fails to move forward, and can slide backward if conservatives get their way too completely.

In a free country the mainstream is defined simply as a synonym for "majority". Republican rhetoric that tries to define mainstream as the beliefs of a pocket of people who can't face change and progress and want to hide in dreams of past glory is just rhetoric. The truth of the matter is that about 80 years ago American society adopted a set of beliefs that was more progressive than what had gone before...and that was the start of a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity and power and influence. You can bleat all you want about how much better things used to be, but facts are facts and results are results. The American mainstream since then might be labelled more liberal than what went before, but by definition the American mainstream in the present defines normality and normalcy. In other words, it's you lot who are on the outside looking in.

Which adequately explains the bitterness and bile. The parade's passed you by, and the invitations to the party must've been lost in the mail.

That was a somewhat interesting history of the last few decades on your planet. Things were a bit different here on Earth. For example, "The Sixties" lasted well into the '70s, and in fact outlasted Nixon, whose "sweeping victory" here, we eventually learned, was obtained through criminal tactics. Also here on Earth, it was in the news just last week that two sixth graders were caught having sex in the classroom; here on Earth, all sorts of twisted sex seems to be going on under Republican rule, not only middle school kids, but, for example, Republican Congressman stalking pages, a gay porn star and escort accredited to the White House press corps, and on and on. I'll grant you that there's more sex generally when Democrats are in charge and people are noticeably happier, but under Republican repression the sex is definitely weirder. Democrats = good sex, Republicans = bad sex. Explains a lot, eh?

if this congress doesn't start making mainstream noises pretty soon - it's history.

As usual, right thought, wrong party. Did you read the Time article Tom linked to, about the struggle in the GOP for the title Righter Than Thou? Disappointing to read about John "Feet of Clay" McCain trying to induce clinical dehydration in Jerry Falwell, and all the rest of them groveling at the feet of the most radical elements on the Right.

But the story is unfolding along pretty much the arc that I started to envision over a year ago. It's a matter of essential natures, like the fable of the scorpion and frog crossing the river--though the times and events require the GOP to head to the mainstream if it's to survive, its nature is forcing it to turn farther to the right and dig the hole deeper. "If it isn't working, do it harder!" seems to be the basic RightWing mindset. This is the beginning of a long period of wandering in the wilderness for the GOP, and it will be many years before it regains the influence it once had.

Vector forces, Techie, follow the vectors. It's not quite psychohistory, but it's a heck of a lot better than tea leaves. Things are unfolding as they must.