For the erratic Mr Haider has decided to dump his nationalist creed, desert his party and start another that steers clear of any recognisable ideology.
Cooler heads retort that this would backfire: Ms Sotomayor will be confirmed anyway and yet more Hispanic and female voters will desert the Republican Party.
Al Gore's sudden transformation from one of the few Democrats who bucked the San Francisco wing to vote for Desert Storm to their standard bearer vis a vis Iraq sent shock waves through his party's political firmament.