Yeah, I enjoyed that too. I'd like some analysis of why it's like that though. Why has the intellectual level of the American (supposedly) centre right fallen so low?
this is just speculation on my part, but some of it seems like an outgrowth of the economy and the changing world. low-middle/middle/high-middle class americans never worried about anything: they had jobs, bought big cars and houses whenever they wanted, their real estate values and stock portfolios went up every year, they lived on credit, etc. then the recession hit, the real estate market crashed, unemployment rose, credit froze...and they suddenly felt threatened and vulnerable. they feel threatened that the US is in decline, and feel the need to "take their country back" from all the exotic brown and yellow skinned outsiders (probably illegals!) who are "stealing their jobs", sucking up our healthcare services, and generally muddying up social values as they see it.
this led to the rise of the tea party, a loud minority that was then (as frum points out) supported and pumped up by conservatives who looked to ride the wave for their own purposes. this had two effects: prompted some not-very-intellectual non-politicians to run for congress and win; and made many standing GOP leaders turn hard right because they feared the wrath of the tea party.
it kind of fed on itself: a loud minority prompts a change in politicians and what they support, which in turn changed the dialogue in tone and quality of debate in washington from consevative-liberal compromise to "my way or the highway" refusal to compromise on anything. as a result, nothing gets done, the economy gets worse, the right heaps more blame on obama ("he's not one of us", etc.), and the GOP goes even further right into fantasy land to "save our country."
or something like that... ;-)