Washington. The Republican Party is essentially disarmed, broken, and not so much time has passed since the election of President George W. Bush in 2000 prompted allegations that the Republicans would exercise an enduring domination. The defeat of John McCain in the presidential elections on Tuesday and the breakdown in Congress, left the party looking for new leadership and identity.
"It's time to terminate the defeats, my commitment to you is that this will be," said the Republican leader in the Lower House, John Boehner, to his colleagues after the party lost at least 19 seats in Congress in its custody .
Senator Jim DeMint said the party's image has been tarnished by scandals and broken promises, "and added:" We have to do cleaning, reform and rebuild the Republican Party before we can ask Americans who rely on us again " .
DeMint asked party leaders to "adopt a bold new direction" or that leave his post.
Ever since John McCain chose as his companion formula, in late August, Sarah Palin, 44, an attractive governor of Alaska, was the star of the Republican presidential campaign, although views vary on it through the political spectrum. Now that the Republican label has been corroded, and many are looking for a new Ronald Reagan, Palin could be one of the main competing.
"The conservatives are still looking for the ideal candidate. Perhaps the ideal candidate will prove to be an ideal candidate in reality," said Bill Whalen, a research group studies the conservative Hoover Institution.
Palin "has a national stature and love conservative radio commentators," said Whalen. But, "do you want to stay at home and be a local governor or try to play a role in the national political scene? She has to choose." Palin has done little to discourage speculation that he might run for president in 2012.
On Tuesday, Palin told reporters that it is "a unifying role of" if "there is a desire on the part of others to help lead the country." Indeed, in its population of origin, Wasilla, in the suburbs of Anchorage, have begun to leave the sale shirts that say "Palin for 2012."
Grover Norquist, a leading conservative and president of the group Americans for Tax Reform, said that Palin "is one of five or six people who may be plausible presidential candidate in 2012," alongside more familiar names like Mitt Romney, the governor of Texas Rick Perry, and former chairman of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich.
Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives was shuffled a change of leadership.
Boehner announced that he will seek another two years as Republican leader. However, the representative Adam Putnam, the number three among the Republicans in the House, resigned "reluctantly", while a party leader said that the representative Eric Cantor tries to compete for second place in importance, responsible for the discipline of the party.
Who now has that place, the legislator Roy Blunt, was considering its options, but not announced immediately if look conserving office, in a sign that probably resign.
Quite a few Republicans and conservative wings of the liberal admitted that the Republican Party is completely destroyed while the Bush administration nears its end, leaving the body without a political leader when incumbent president's term ends in January.
"Nationally, the Republican Party is going to be at a moment of self," said the governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty.
Nearly two dozen prominent conservatives planned to meet on Thursday in Virginia to try to devise solutions to the game.
It is expected a fight for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, several heads of state party to emerge the highest national office despite the fact that Mike Duncan has said he wants to remain in the post.