Meanwhile on the other side of the aisle

We have this.  Next up, we see why old man Potter actually had a point.  Again, there is something out there called progressivism, or the Secular Left.  On the conservative side, it's not so clear.  Depends on what you are 'conserving.'  Likewise, many can be quite liberal and not be part of the Leftist movement.  But there is a movement, a world view, that is against the Christian belief of the world.  And not all who resist this are conservatives of the same stripe.

What seems to have happened - personal observation here - is that as this anti-Christian, anti-Western, and often anti-American movement gained  speed, those who would resist formed uneasy, and at times unnatural, alliances.  The blanket term 'conservative' came to be applied to anyone who wasn't part of this progressive tide.  

Likewise, those who were of a more liberal, open, tolerant mindset were pushed into the tent of the 'progressive' or 'liberal.'  And that was probably not too far off, because based on my observations over the decades, try as you might to draw a line in the sand with the progressive movement while accepting certain viewpoints or opinions, the fact is you'll eventually compromise your values and change to keep up with the latest, hippest.  Look at many of the Western theistic faiths that have tried the same. 

On the 'conservative' side, however, there were definite groups with little to nothing in common except a profound dislike for this new progressive movement.  Within their alliance, there was often no more in common than the USSR had with the USA in WWII.  But it was an alliance.

Then, during the disastrous Bush presidency, that alliance collapsed.  Whether it was Bush's deplorable communication abilities, or the disastrous policies, or basic incompetency, it was enough to push many within that alliance out.  And as the progressive movement became emboldened, and began to make its biases clear through such avenues as education and the media, the defeats began to pick up speed.  And with defeats, as any sports fan will tell you, comes the blaming.  

Even in the late 90s, when the GOP suffered setbacks during the Clinton scandals - which showed the power of this movement to change hearts and minds literally overnight - finger pointing and anger was common.  I remember listening to Rush Limbaugh, and hearing callers spewing forth against those religious nut types who needed to be sent packing.  

As those of the 'bombs and bank accounts' conservatives became more frustrated, their willingness to defend the indefensible became louder.  And as those who were team players and were going to do what they could to put the best face on the unthinkable, many who were allied against the threats of the progressive movement began to fall away, realizing that there were things within the tent of conservatism that were every bit as bad as that associated with the progressives.  Again, like realizing that the USSR, in the end, wasn't much better than Nazi Germany. 

But since that thing I currently call 'progressivism' is an actual movement, a distinct world view and religious and philosophical, social and political movement, as opposed to the somewhat loose alliance of varying and, at times conflicting, worldviews, that single movement is now winning victory after victory.  And it's not hard to see why.  When you have some who would resist this new threat to the Faith  turn around and try to spin for the bad guys simply because 'Money!', it's hard to imagine a world where decent folks won't scratch their heads and wonder if a victory by such people really would be a better alternative.