Mike, I think their dysfunction stems from their disingenuous ideology.  Peopled with straw-men, sleight of hand, their ideas are unable to focus on the reality of their desire, which is not for freedom, but to be dictated to; and by the trustworthy machinations of profit, rather than the more uncertain democratic process.

Naturally, they can’t admit this outright.  The fictions that arise when they must use code concepts, ones that mean the opposite of what they say, but are understood and applauded by those in the know, removes the possibility that they can speak coherently.

It’s crazy-making.

Hi, Mike

In deference to my blood pressure, I will attempt to keep my comments light. 
I suggest that Perry and Cain are fine examples of delusional self confidence. I rather thought Bush II was out of range but these guys make him look modest. They may take themselves seriously, but I can't. 
Likewise if Gingrich is nominated, overlooking his callous corruption and despicable,  behavoir, then all soul searching in the body politic is finished. None found. Forget it.
I predict that Romney will be the Republican candidate and that he will loose. I'll take odds on it. The State caucuses are just a show, a sort of marketing strategy to discover just how stupid we are and what tactics they can use to pull the wool over our eyes. 
Obama, for all his popular support in the last election, was heavily supported by the financial sector of the economy. I did not notice this at the or I might not have been so hopeful. By now though, he is a tried and true conformist to the neoliberal corporate agenda. He will win. The PTB have no need to change horses.
I gave hundreds to his campaign last time and will not give a penny this time.

You can't fight city hall. But you CAN buy it.   DC is essentially now a department of corporate America focused on cost cutting. Obama was my man, but now I understand him to a spokesman for the dairy industry, that is how much can they milk us for. Ronald Reagan was trained by GE and was the demonstration project for using a hired shill as president. 

I am these days much more hopeful that the Occupy Movement will grow and begin to make a difference than I am that the next election will.
Occupy, Occupy, I say, Occupy!

My favorite Cain moment was when he was asked about abortion and seemed to say both that abortion should be up to the mother and that life begins at conception and no abortions should be allowed.  He seemed unaware or unwilling to admit that there was any contradiction in these views.

Another interesting Cain moment was his appearance on Letterman, who went after him with scarcely-concealed irritation and anger that he was actually running for the office.  The questions were fairly tough, and Cain maintained his cool.  

True-believing Republicans have to operate within a bubble of beliefs, and many of them are not good at understanding or dealing with people who do not share that bubble.  They deal with these people by trying to convert them or by fighting them and winning by any means necessary.  They sense that Romney is a shape-changer who has no real beliefs and they correctly fear that he will betray them if elected, turning back into the Massachusetts governor he once was.