“... in the eyes of the Republican grassroots they are all politically dead.”
And .. the traitors think they got away with it.
As long as they have the “you have to vote republican at all cost” conservatives they have got away with it and they know a certain level of conservatives will continue to vote for them regardless of what they do.
If they voted to confiscate all firearms and gut the 2nd Amendment, raise taxes across the board, fully fund abortion on demand for 12 yr. olds, gay marriage in all 50 states and gut the military down to a Humvee, row boat and glider they would still vote Republican.
Until this changes the GOPE isn’t going to change. And working within the party will not work, the GOPE controls all the levers of power and they will not relinquish power.