During the Bush years, Bush was the voice of the Republican party. Now, Bush is gone. McCain managed to win the nomination, but wasn’t really a true leader. (Indeed, it is hard to imagine any senator being a true leader. They all seem to be nothing more than a sound bite.)

Without true leadership, anyone who wants attention can claim to be the next leader. And the media outlets want ratings, so they will publicize the one with the most extreme views. And so we get Trafficant, or Ron Paul, or Glen Beck as the voice of the Republican Party.

The “reforms” implemented in 1972 basically killed any type of party discipline. One advantage of the “smoke filled room” was that political experts vetted candidates in order to improve their party’s chances of winning. Now, it is whoever gets the most name recognition from a mostly apathetic public. We have replaced professional politicians with newscast program directors whose criteria is selling soap.