Where the Republican Party went wrong

begin quote from:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-delegates-20160317-story.html

From Sarah Palin to Donald Trump: Where the Republican Party went wrong

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined on stage by former Republican vice presidential candidate, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during a campaign event, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
(Mary Altaffer, AP)

Steve ChapmanContact Reporter

During Mitt Romney's recent speech denouncing Donald Trump as "a fraud," a stark question arose: How did the Republican Party go, in four years, from nominating a sober grown-up with a record of achievement in the public and private sectors to embracing a loud-mouthed playboy with a string of bankruptcies and no experience in government?
Remember when George W. Bush vowed to "restore honor and dignity to the White House"? Those qualities are no longer in demand. Say what you will about Romney, you would trust him with your wallet or your daughter. Trump? Not a chance.
It's not always possible to identify the moment when a journey to destruction began. But in the case of the Republican Party, there is no doubt: Friday, Aug. 29, 2008. That day, presidential nominee John McCain announced that his running mate would be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. It was a test for McCain and the GOP rank and file. Both failed, and the party has never recovered.

Palin paved the way for a trash-talking narcissist to take over the party.

The problem is not that Palin was a poor candidate who helped drag the ticket to defeat. The problem is that she was celebrated for qualities that were irrelevant and excused for defects that should have been disqualifying. Instead of recognizing her inadequacy, Republicans hailed her backcountry hockey-mom persona, her scorn for the "spinelessness" of elites, her inflammatory rhetoric and her inexperience in the matters a vice president and president have to handle.