Dr. Sowell, you may be older than I in years, but not in cynicism. I fear you are overlooking an obvious explanation for the ineptitude of the GOP - they don't want to win! They are mostly lying about their goals and, in fact and in deed, have been promoting the leftist agenda all along. How could it lose? As for Marco Rubio, I can't help but be amused that the answer to one illegal alien in the White House, is another ineligible candidate, this time from the other side of the aisle. If Rubio, who is also very squishy on truly conservative issues, gets nominated, he cannot win the Tea Party or libertarian vote.