It's a party devoid of principals and it's all about the party, not the nation, an idea, or some principals. The GOP will jump onto the big government bandwagon, sign up on gay rights, or support measures that go against the most basic Constitutional rights (Patriot Act) because at the end of the day it's simply about winning an election, not a principal.
The US GOP has devolved to a Euro style conservative party (Sort of like the German CDU). A big government party that simply embraces a few free market ideas, some minor social conservative ideas, and a more pro defense position.