The Republican Party is totally and completely dysfunctional – it’s overly influenced by a small and radical group of people who have no connection with or understanding the socially liberal, fiscally conservative beliefs of their party members let alone most Americans.

Where George W. Bush should have been an anomaly: a tax and spend, aggressive, interventionist foreign policy and the failed economic policies of Geithner and Bernanke rather than the flawed but far more sensible policies of his father or the actual conservative policies of Ronald Reagan, the Bush failure model has become a new standard. Continued spending, irresponsible laws, invasion of bedrooms and wallets and politicians like Allen West and Michelle Bachman who increase the perception of it being a party of intolerance make it a wonder that Republicans win any elections.

The Democrats are no better: schizophrenically claiming to be anti-war and pro-freedom while supporting an eight fold increase in Afghanistan, new bombing campaigns in Yemen, Africa and Pakistan, re-supporting the Patriot Act, supporting drones abroad and even at home and adding the provisions of the NDAA allowing indefinite detention of Americans without a trial. The democrats who support these things, in hatred of Bush policies, have ended up adopting those very policies because they are so blinded they cannot see beyond the letters R and D. They have scored a victory for Karl Rove who has seen virtually every policy he made for Bush remain and increase under Obama.

Fortunately for the future of America, an entirely different type of office holder is emerging in the Liberty movement : elected officials who believe in sensible government, who want to keep government out of our bedrooms and who stand for freedom. They run circles around most so-called progressive democrats on civil rights, freedom, eliminating the Patriot Act, TSA, NDAA and ending war. They embrace the Constitution and seek elimination of Wall St. bailouts and reckless spending. Rand Paul, Ron Paul, Justin Amash, Ted Cruz and other members of the liberty movement operate under the Republican Party umbrella but have views and records completely different from the failed GW Bush policies and superior records in rights and freedom to most democrats.

This week, in retaliation for voting with his principles, Rep. Justin Amash was removed from the Congressional Budget committee — the same old-guard republicans who manipulated convention rules to exclude Ron Paul (who is almost certain to have beat Obama had he won the nomination) are so fearful of the message of conservatism and freedom that they risk destroying themselves in the process.

The great news for America is that on the evening of November 6 with Mitt Romney’s loss, the Republican Party was shattered and has no choice but to rebuild. Will the party follow failure, intolerance and bull-headed war and spending or will it embrace the successful model show by Amash and Rand Paul which embraces true sound ideas and attracts independents and democrats who are tired of war and the Patriot Act? It’s a test not just of the party but for America itself.

-Bruce Fenton