The Grand Old Party, known to many as simply the "G.O.P.," passed away during the recent election season. Despite having once been known for such luminaries as Lincoln and Reagan, in recent years the party had slipped into a near-comatose state of minorityhood and, under the leadership of a continuing parade of elder statesmen, had demonstrated an unfailing ability to reach across the aisle and compromise principles in the name of "getting things done." It is survived by a group of aging professional politicians whose primary interest has been their own political careers and assuring the blessings of continual reelection...