Ah, yes, it has nothing to do with the fact that the Republican Party made some disastrous choices the past two years and caused some of its base to become disinterested . No, it couldn't be that. Hey, I know the solution! Let's head to the Left and show those EEEEVIL fringers that they don't matter. That will really work.
Seriously, if you want to see the GOP in the hole for the next 20 years, go ahead, toss out the "fringers" who are a larger percentage of the Party than you realize. As Rush says, conservatives win when they act like conservatives.
And for the record, I voted Republican all the way, because I vote for "fringe" candidates in the primary and stick to the party line in the general, but it does not surprise me one bit that others, especially independent conservatives, would not choose that path.
No, they are not.