by Ron Hill — The whole purpose of my blog, republicans4freedom, is to point out the extremism that has become popular in my party. My hope is that rational conservatives will then work to help bring the GOP back to the common-sense middle. The truth is that our party has gone off the deep end. It’s as if we’re watching the slow, painful death of a major political party.

First it was Sarah Palin who couldn’t name one major newspaper she read, much less string together two logical sentences. Then came Christine O’Donnell who spoke out against masturbation and dabbled in witchcraft. About the same time we had Sharon Angle who suggested that armed insurrection was a possibility in opposing the policies of elected democrats. Then we had Michele Bachmann, whose only redeeming quality was making Sarah Palin look informed and thoughtful by way of comparison. Ms. Bachmann brought along her not-at-all gay husband, an unlicensed psychologist with a degree from an unaccredited on-line school. Their family business was found to be practicing the widely discredited and scientifically unsound “ex-gay” therapy. Both Bachmanns apparently believe Jesus is too busy not curing the gays to bother with minor matters like ending war, African famine, Asian epidemics, or Americans murdering one another in large numbers. Most recently, we were treated to Newt Gingrich, the thrice-divorced serial adulterer who – ironically – was the darling of the “family values” crowd. Among other extreme views, Mr. Gingrich seemed to imply that America should bring back child labor.

The GOP race just keeps getting more and more bizarre.

I expected some nutty statements from Rick Santorum, but his recent attack on Obama for not sharing true ”biblical values” went beyond the scope of decency; it was appalling. As they would say in the South – where we reserve the “t-word” for only the most serious of offenses – it was Tacky.

It’s beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate to question the Christian faith of his opponent based merely on a difference in theology.

If I sound harsh on a Republican – it’s only because I expect better from the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Goldwater. The nation, as well as the GOP, deserve better; the consequences of an intellectually stagnant and moribund Republican party are simply too awful.