Via James Fallows, I just read a remarkable essay by Mike Lofgren, a 30-year veteran GOP staffer who finally had enough of the new Republican party bullshit. Anyone who cares about the United States needs to read this article. Sadly, it confirms every one of my concerns about Republicans, only in spades!
It should have been evident to clear-eyed observers that the Republican Party is becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult, or one of the intensely ideological authoritarian parties of 20th century Europe.
Read that article. But if you can’t, the basic message is Americans have never been more stupid, and rich people pulling the strings of the lunatic Republican base (and new politicians) are more than happy to take advantage of (and reinforce) this sorry fact to continue to line their own pockets.
The best way for the new Republican terrorism to be stopped is for other Republicans to do as Mike Lofgren has done by speaking out. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Oh yeah, and for the media to grow some balls and report the truth.
Welcome to Sherwood 
To an outsider, albeit a conservative one, it does appear that the Republican Party is ceasing to be the broad tent it once was, and is becoming rather too narrow in focus and ideology. While I do have some sympathy with some of the views expressed by Bachmann and the like, it isn’t healthy for any political party to have such a dearth of alternative viewpoints.