Whatever happened to the Grand Old Party?

To the Times:

In the history of the United States, over ninety political parties have become “extinct.” Right now, in this moment of time, it feels right to ask if the Republican Party will be the next. Will the party founded on the principles and ideals of Abraham Lincoln go the route of the Whigs and the Know Nothings parties into political oblivion. Maybe even more pointedly, should they?

The party that once was the party of true conservatism and wholesome family values has abandoned even the pretense of adhering to these values. The party that once gave us the optimism and humility of a Ronald Reagan, now has as its titular head, Donald Trump, a man of dystopian attitudes and massive narcissism The party that once believed in productive governance, now only believes in grievance and obstruction and maintenance of its waning power.

The party which championed family values, ethics and morality has devolved into one that tolerates male political leaders who demonstrate abject misogynist and sexist attitudes and behaviors that demean and devalue women. A party that once was a beacon of moral rectitude, is now a beacon of moral recklessness. How better to sum it up than to say that the party of “Honest Abe” Lincoln is now the party of “Lying Don” Trump.

It may be a bit premature to say that the Republican Party is in a “death spiral,” past a tipping point from which it cannot recover. But, among current party luminaries there are seemingly no ‘white knights’ on the horizon with the stature and gravitas to rescue them. Let’s just say that the party of Lincoln is no more, and, that the Grand Old Party, is now no longer so “grand,” just “old.”