The seeds were set for the future in the 2010 Midterm Elections. The Tea Party popped up, and the Republicans saw them as the fuel for election victories. The 2012 victory of Barack made the Republicans lean more towards the Right, casting out any Moderates.
When Trump joined the election in 2015, he wiped out the entire Republican base. Jeb Bush and Kasich, the two more moderate of the candidates, were wiped out quickly. Marco Rubio was too young. Ted Cruz is just loathed in the Senate.
Its 2020, and as of now. Who is the Republican Party? Mitch McConnell is probably the only name who people will realize. Mitt Romney would never have the shot, because of one thing, their party appeals to the populace of uneducated, whites.
No matter how hard Republicans try to turn left, they are aligned themselves with a racial, xenophobic, uneducated base; short term gains with no long term prospects. It will be a split in the future with Democratic Socialists and Conservative Democrats, with Republicans either adapting Conservative Democrats, or the party being rejected by both and becoming a third party.
In terms of elections they can still win congressional seats, but in terms of presidential aspirations its basically over.
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