Republicans nationwide breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday night as Republicans Christopher Christie and Robert McDonnell claimed the New Jersey and Virginia statehouses, respectively.  After the disastrous election last year, any win is a triumphant win, despite the fact that Sarah Palin’s wardrobe would have garnered more attention than these elections had they taken place last year.  But even though GOP Chairman Michael Steele asserted that the wins signal a “Republican renaissance,” this election showed the numerous problems the party faces in 2010.

In 2008, 2010 or any other big election year, the Congressional race in upstate New York would have been a small statistic considering the 435 or so other races taking place at the same time.  But because its 2009 and because of the actions preceding the election, the race in New York’s 23rd Congressional District captured the national spotlight.  The weekend before the election, GOP-backed and moderate Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava withdrew from the race after her poll numbers plunged thanks to Conservative Party-backed Doug Hoffman.  The rebellion by grass-root conservatives against the GOP establishment allowed the Democrat, Bill Owens, to win in a district that has been Republican-controlled since 1993.   

The question now is, will this happen again and with more frequency in 2010?  Will “grass-root” conservatives rebel against moderates Republicans across the country and hand even more wins to the Democrats?  Will the “grass-root” army headed by Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck overwhelm the establishment?

With the Democrats split on health care, 2010 would be the perfect time for Republicans to stage a comeback and cast aside their status as the powerless opposition.  But the childish bickering within the party threatens to destroy this opportunity. 

Their number one priority right now should be finding a charismatic and likeable leader who can unite the party.  Populists and right-wing Conservatives such as Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty are too divisive while centrists such as Mitt Romney would anger the far right and propagate the rebellion.  They need to find someone with conservative stances on social and fiscal issues who is also knowledgeable and likeable.  They need to find a Washington outsider with insider knowledge.  A leader like this could unite the GOP and remind everyone that far too much is at risk, such as a costly and inefficient health care bill, for them to bicker amongst each other. 

The two factions need to remember that in the end, they do have much in common, such as fiscal conservatism – a fact that the “grass-root” conservatives need to realize before they pulverize any remaining power the GOP has by splitting the vote.

Only then will the recent election results be the beginning of the return to power and importance of the Grand Ole Party.