To be accurate, this isn't really a new development.
Romney sealed his fate against an easily beatable Obama by ditching HIS moderate background in order to appeal to these fruitcakes. Remember? "Severely" conservative.
And, just take a look at the candidates that were running alongside Romney who, like him or not, did at least have a resume?
-Perry
-The pizza guy
-Michelle freakin Bachmann
-SANTORUM
-GINGRICH
Perry and Ted Cruz are virtually interchangeable, ideology-wise. Bachmann is basically Palin with even more crazy sauce.
What's so astounding is that after the election, THAT would have been the time to say: we need to get rid of these people, we're losing elections because of them. Yet here they are, still. Not only still around but now running the entire show. That's scary.
I'll also point out--again--that the guy with the most impressive resume, Huntsman, was the first knocked out, like a snowball on an oven. Never had a chance.
There was your shape of things to come right there, that whole primary.