Republicans want us to believe they're still the "Grand Old Party."
At first glance, or really first listen, they sound like they've done some pretty wonderful things -- like they're fighting for you.
But looks, and sound bites can be deceiving. They no longer resemble the party known as the Republican Party not so many years ago -- a conservative group of individuals that worked for a better country for all.
So, who are these new Republicans?
It has become difficult to define the current right-wing party, but they're clearly in disarray and searching for an acceptable identity.
Having strayed far afield from the principles of their Republican icon, they're no longer the party of Lincoln. Nor are they the party of Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, or even Reagan.
The struggle is between conservatives and a new far-right faction of radicals who are not only eviscerating the party but ruining their political appeal.
This new breed of Republican has an inadequate understanding of the Constitution and an even lesser understanding of their constituents. They lack respect to the point of arrogance and display an ignorance proving them unsuitable for their elected position.
In several districts they learned from their mistakes and replaced the incapable individuals they had voted in just two short years before: Joe Walsh, Nan Hayworth, and Alan West. These districts realized their error and quickly corrected it. But, their removals barely scratched the surface in undoing the madness of 2010.
But, gerrymandering saved a number of equally inept representatives allowing the Republicans to retain their majority in the worst House of Representatives in the history of our nation, led by the worst Speaker in our history, John Boehner.
Unfortunately, the situation may be even worse in the Senate despite the Democrats' ability to keep the majority. The minority party, led by an uncaring legislator, Mitch McConnell, a Minority Leader with a desire for chaos and disruption, has rendered the Senate to be the lesser house of Congress.
Obstruction in the Senate, the inexcusable use of the filibuster by Republicans, has led us from one crisis to another and to a level of inefficiency that threatens our well-being and our very democracy.
The two houses now possess the lowest approval rating of any Congress since 1974.
For the most part Republicans are responsible for that low rating, though they try very hard to convince the people otherwise. They claim the Democrats want everything, spend everything, block everything, and exploit everything despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Their sociopathic lies are destroying what little faith in government still remains.
The "Grand Old Party" no longer exists.
From the stupidity at the highest level of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus; to the lack of leadership in both the House: Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, and the Senate: John Cornyn, Roy Blunt; to the rank and file in the two houses, the GOP is dead.
The Replacement Party -- part Conservative, part Libertarian, part Tea Party, and part just downright crazy -- is clearly underqualified, undisciplined, uncaring, unprincipled, prejudiced, zealous, and in utter disarray.
In a world of lowest common denominator the right-wing electorate burdens us with imbalanced, erratic, unhinged, and dangerous politicians, such that the business of 'the people' can't get done.
Republicans are destroying themselves -- eating their young -- and have no clue how to slow or prevent this fall from grace. The party that was bound by an ideology, however inane; perpetuated by lies; inextricably tied to an antiquated and prejudiced strategy; and unable to control the lunatic fringe, is declining rapidly. People are beginning to see and embrace truth and cast aside their prevarication's.
And the truth is driving voters and members of the party away, including long standing members of the GOP.
By all appearances, the "Grand Old Party" is falling apart, stagnating -- moribund.
Fading into the dust bin of history.