The fundamental problem is I believe that the Republican Leadership believes that they can't actually win based on their actual policies, and since they want (need) to stay in power in order to bring those policies to fruition, they are willing to do anything to do so. More, they don't believe that if they lose that after the Democrats have actually been able to use the power that their victory would grant them, that they will be able to return from that to have political influence.
I don't personally believe they are correct (particularly on that last part), but that is the way they are behaving.
I don't personally believe they are correct (particularly on that last part), but that is the way they are behaving.