Is the GOP Self Destructing?

I have noted at this point countless times about my dismay at what has become of the Republican Party - a party which once like to portray itself as the party of knowledge, education and logic. Today's GOP is 180 degrees opposite of that former notion of the party. Now, even Michael Medved who I consider a far right lunatic much of the times is even lamenting the state of the GOP. As noted before, the party leadership brought all of this on themselves when they sold out first to the Christian Right and the to the Tea Party (which has about an 85% overlap with the Christian Right). Here are some highlights from Medved's lament on The Daily Beast:

After a seemingly endless series of eight prior candidate encounters, one of the GOP presidential contenders finally came up with an ingenious debate strategy that counts as fearless, distinctive and utterly original: attacking Ronald Reagan over the arms-for-hostages deals during Iran-Contra.

Near the conclusion of a deeply damaging slugfest that weakened every candidate on stage, Congressman Ron (“Dr. Demento”) Paul outrageously trashed the Gipper’s memory in response to pre-debate Herman Cain comments about trading Guantanamo terrorists for a hypothetically kidnapped American soldier.

When a big CNN debate that’s supposed to focus on America’s future concludes with an utterly irrelevant dispute about a 25-year-old scandal that tarnished the reputation of a conservative saint, then you know it was a terrible night for the party. One of the savviest political observers I know (who’s been working for Republicans since the Nixon era) sent a terse text message offering an appropriate reaction to the Destruction Derby: “GOP, RIP.”

On Tuesday night, viewers got their first glimpse of a rattled Romney who seemed unmistakably frustrated by crude and nasty attacks from the two rantin’ Ricks—Santorum and Perry—who slimed the governor over Romney-care and immigration (respectively). The irritation made sense given the fact that his interlocutors wouldn’t shut up and gave Mitt no chance to respond to their angry charges. But whenever a candidate pleads for the right to finish a statement without interruption, and even appeals to a moderator to enforce order, he looks weak and unworthy as a prospective commander-in-chief.

Perry began the debate with more energy, focus and confidence than he brought to the table in previous engagements but, as always, he looked increasingly exhausted and confused as the evening wore on. His oafish effort to smear Romney for once contracting with a lawn service that employed illegals (a cheap-shot charge exhaustively explored in Mitt’s previous campaign four years ago) marked a new low point for the Perry campaign and leads me to the conclusion that unslick Rick will feel forced to terminate his collapsing candidacy at some point before the Iowa caucuses.


All in all, only Democrats (and Jon Huntsman, who boycotted the proceedings over primary scheduling disputes) could have enjoyed this evening of mean-spirited sniping over mostly irrelevant issues. For GOP contenders and their managers, they can at least try to reassure themselves by solemnly repeating Sin City’s tourism mantra (cleverly invoked by Rep. Bachmann in her opening statement): What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. They should be so lucky.

Clearly, when a political party makes the conscious decision to cater to religious fanatics and morons, the resulting sour aftermath is deserved. I am no fan of Obama and many in the Democrat Party, but at least they have not embraced ignorance and unvarnished bigotry.