The reason, I guess, is that the rot that has brought us to the brink of Senator Roy Moore began long ago. Starting with Sarah Palin and the spread of Fox News, the G.O.P. traded an ethos of excellence for an ethos of hucksterism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/...-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/07/...-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region