I wrote a long comment "No Opposition Arguments Sucks" in response to clammyc's essential diary "All of your arguments suck", which is about Republicans having lost their credibility to complain about Democratic appointments and performance. I want to present in my own diary my response for further discussion, without hijacking clammyc's diary.
Because an even bigger problem with Republicans than their obstructionism is their disappearance, from an adversarial political system that requires credible opponents to prevent runaway power from looking "not as bad as that hellhole across the aisle". That duopoly sticks us with endless excuses to govern badly, which fueled Republicans' steamroller to the bottom.
So here's just why Americans can't afford to merely lose Republican opposition, though they have lost their power to credibly oppose Democrats. And what we can - and must - build to replace them, while they scramble to value less than zero instead of recreating themselves credibly.
Join me for the next step beyond gloating over Republican extinction...