GOP Base Demoralized

The Vitter Sex Scandal is another blow to GOP efforts to shore up apathy in their base. Social conservatives -- the key to GOP victories since Ronald Reagan's 1980 election -- stayed home in droves in 2006. The result was Democratic majorities in Congress.

The revelation that Sen David Vitter (R-LA) was on a DC madam's phone list -- and claims from a New Orleans madam he frequented her establishment -- aren't helping energize the GOP base. From The Politico:

"Beyond the chortling, however, the Vitter scandal is a small piece of a much more significant development: The demoralized state of the social conservative movement on the brink of the 2008 election."

Add to that the socially moderate records of GOP front runner Rudy Giuliani and you see a party with little for social conservatives to get excited about. Especially since the hooker scandal revolves around a Senator who was high enough up the Giuliani Campaign food chain to be jockeying for a Vice Presidential nomination on the GOP ticket.

And consider those who vote with thier money. Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen Barack Obama (D-IL) raised twice as much money in the second quarter reporting period than the top Republican fundraiser -- more than Rudy Giuliani did in the whole campaign.

Not a lot to get excited about -- unless your name is Clinton or Obama. (Politico)