This article from Rod Dreher (Senior editor, The American Conservative) makes some good points, I think.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20257611
It’s a much deeper analysis than most of the conspiracy theory type posts I have seen so far. Time for some actual soul searching, people! This was a true butt-whipping, so quit making lame excuses. What will convince a majority of voters (not just old, white, male, evangelical southerners) that the party has something to offer them? Demographics are destiny, that is a fact that cannot be overcome with rhetoric.
Lesson? Run squishy RINOs you lose.