Where did the Republicans go wrong?

In some way, I think they put themselves in a box when they tried to portray themselves as "true conservatives" - as "Reagan conservatives". Over the years, they idealized what they thought a "conservative" should be? Finally, they became so "radicalized" that they could not turn back. In some far distant way, they may have resembled ISIS, the terrorist group?

To be "true conservatives", they had to obey their "conservatism" as if it were their religion. They believed there should be no limits on any guns and turned a blind eye the other direction, even when small children were being slaughtered in their school.

There were several issues where the Republican Party could not see to compromise because it would have betrayed their political "conservatism". They believed in cutting taxes but did not believe in raising taxes. There was no middle ground, no matter the needs - roads, schools, infrastructure, parks and conservation, and other benefits for the people in mass.

They so disliked government that they obstructed everything the President would propose, without regard to whether the people agreed with them. They were "radicalized".

Their allegiance to an "idealistic conservatism', which grew more and more idealistic with each passing election, became impossible to sell to the masses. They were a confused Party. They did not know what they stood for.