Long way to go for the GOP - but tonights victories are a indication to a Party alive, breathing and Kickin'

Via AP:

For Republicans, an election win of any size today would be a blessing. But victories in Virginia, New Jersey or elsewhere won't erase enormous obstacles the party faces heading into 2010 midterm elections, when control of Congress and statehouses from coast to coast will be up for grabs.

It's been a tough few years for the GOP. The party lost control of Congress in 2006 and then lost the White House in 2008 with three traditional Republican states -- Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia -- abandoning the party.

So even if political winds start blowing harder behind them and even if they can capitalize on Democratic missteps, Republicans still will have a long way to go during the next year because of their party's own fundamental problems -- divisions over the path forward, the lack of a national leader and a shrinking base in a changing nation.

The GOP would overcome none of those hurdles should Republican Bob McDonnell win the Virginia governor's race, Chris Christie emerge victorious in the New Jersey governor's contest or conservative Doug Hoffman triumph in a hotly contested special congressional election in upstate New York.

Not that the GOP would casually brush off even a small stack of victories today.

One or more wins would give the Republicans a jolt and a reason to rally in the coming months. Victories certainly would help with grass-roots fundraising and candidate recruiting. And they might just be enough to reinvigorate a party that controlled the White House and Congress through much of this decade, only to lose power in back-to-back national elections.

Viewed from the other side, a GOP sweep would be a setback for Democrats. It could be viewed as a negative measure of President Obama's standing and could signal trouble ahead as he seeks to get moderate Democratic lawmakers behind his legislative agenda and protect Democratic majorities in Congress next fall.

Still, with Democrats in control, the onus is on the GOP to get its act together. George W. Bush, the president many Republicans came to see as an election-day albatross, is gone, but the party troubles born under him linger.

Republican leaders in Washington certainly are mindful of the challenges.

"It's going to be a difficult road to walk, to work with relatively new entrants into the political system and to work with them to show them that, by and large, we are the party who represents their interests," House Republican leader John Boehner told CNN on Sunday, arguing that there's "a political rebellion" taking place in the country.

Others are more blunt.

"Right now, there's no central Republican leader to turn to, and there's no central Republican message," conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh told Fox News on Sunday. "The Republican message is sort of muddied. What do they stand for? Right now, it's opposition to Obama."

Witnessing a party that was written off just a year ago, pundits indicating the death of the Republican party, predicting a 40 year opposition party, a popular President making history and promising change, a energized Democratic base , and lack of leadership in the Republican party, all these were a reason for us to sit at the sidelines and weep, applaud the president and await the Country to forget our failures and loses and re-elect us to power when they are fed up and looking for a change of scenery , But NO! less then 9 month into his first term ,Obama managed to do the unpredictable, with a majority in both houses and a popular figure, he looked over the fence and started to pick enemies, starting from Rush Limbaugh going on with Jim Demint (waterloo), carrying on against Drudge, and ending with his war against FOX news, calling the GOP party "the other guys", he managed to unify and energize the base, managed to add anger and fear of his current moves and future policies, losing the Independents that are flocking now back to the GOP tent, and with 41% of the Nation identifying themselves as Conservatives, the war of voters is a backlash and a slap into Obama's face and the Democratic party.

Although we have a long way to go to regain trust of the American voters and prove them that our solutions are the best for the Country's future , to return to power and recapture majority in the House and the Senate, the message is clear, the wind is blowing on our side, and the Republican Party is ALIVE, BREATHING AND KICKIN' .... last year Obama supporters chanted yes we can..Yes we can... tonight we send a message to the Americans frustrated and disappointed that a alternative is being built, and the seeds we are planting tonight, will grow in '10 and '12 to a surprising GOP comeback.... so LET'S DO IT!!