The Republican Party's Identity Crisis

Washington Post
By Dan Balz

In the final weeks of Campaign 2008, the Republican Party is in the midst of an identity crisis, but it is nothing compared to what could happen if John McCain ends up losing the presidential race to Barack Obama and the party suffers another shellacking in House and Senate races.

Nothing is certain, but most indicators now point to a bad election day for the Republicans. Republicans could lose 20 or more seats in the House and half a dozen or more in the Senate. That would come on top of major losses two years ago.

McCain trails Obama in the polls nationally -- although by margins sometimes so wildly different as to cause everyone to question how they're being calculated. He is also on the defensive in enough battleground states that he will have to have the luck of the gambler that he is to win.

McCain advisers see some tightening in the polls nationally and in some states. But recall that a few weeks ago, as Obama was increasing his lead, their argument was that private polls showed the race much tighter, particularly in some of the states.

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