How did the GOP descend to its current level?

The Republicans, the GOP, are currently a party lacking much intellectual heft.  So the question is:  how has the party gone down so far?

Part of the answer is in this opinion piece:

The descent of the GOP into authoritarian know-nothingism

"It is not as if anti-intellectualism suddenly appeared with the election of President Trump. The habitual rejection of expertise on everything from climate change to the economic impact of immigration has been rampant in the Republican Party for some time. It is part and parcel of the invented victimization of mostly white, non-college-educated men who attribute their loss of prestige and status to “elites,” especially those in colleges and the media. Even right-wingers who should know better have felt compelled to pander to audiences that wear ignorance and anti-intellectualism as a badge of honor."

Read the rest to find out more.