The Fall of John Cornyn Triggers Collapse of the Republican Party

'A cult of personality smashing everyone and everything in its path to erect a kleptocracy and a ballroom,' said Sidney Blumenthal, The New York Times.

John Cornyn, a 24-year incumbent in the Republican party, has fallen victim to a brutal primary election defeat at the hands of fellow Texan Ken Paxton. Despite shelling out a staggering $92 million, the highest amount ever dropped by a candidate in a Senate primary, Cornyn was unable to withstand Paxton's hostile campaign, which capitalized on the Republican's own baggage. The once-loyal member of 'Team Bush' saw his campaign ads scrubbed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee immediately after the primary loss.

It's not just Cornyn who has paid the price for his party's woes. His ignominious rejection represents the ongoing shattering of the Republican party, whose foundations were laid by Ronald Reagan, laboriously built in Texas by the Bushes, both father and son, with their operative Karl Rove. In fact, Rove, a master strategist and the 'boy genius' of the Texas Republican party, had been instrumental in elevating Cornyn's career. The two first met in the early 1980s, when Rove was already the most influential political consultant in Texas. Rove went on to enlist Cornyn as a 32-year-old lawyer in his 'tort reform' movement, which aimed to regulate the insurance industry.

Over the years, Rove helped raise millions for Cornyn's campaigns, using his connections in the corporate world to secure funding from major players like Phillip Morris and the tobacco lobby. By 1990, Rove had anointed Cornyn to run for the Texas supreme court, where he would go on to become a key player in the party's power structure. Rove continued to back Cornyn, helping him raise over $100 million as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2009.

However, by the time of the 2012 Senate elections, Cornyn's popularity had begun to wane. Despite his loyal service to the party, he was no longer seen as the unassailable leader he once was. As a loyal member of 'Team Bush,' Cornyn was appointed US Attorney General by George W Bush in 2002, tasked with co-founding the national Republican Attorneys General Association.

Fast forward to the present day, and the writing is on the wall. With Cornyn's primary loss and the ongoing shattering of the Republican party, it remains uncertain whether Mitch McConnell can salvage what remains of the party's power structure. In fact, the Republican party's ongoing woes may be a harbinger of its final collapse, as the party's foundations continue to crumble.

In the words of Sidney Blumenthal, 'The fall of John Cornyn mirrors the fall of the Republican party.' However, it's worth noting that only time will tell what the future holds for this once-mighty institution, but for now, the signs are ominous.