After its losses in November, the GOP gave up being an actual political party and went full-time into generating content for Fox News. With emcee Michael Steele at the helm, the party has done absolutely nothing that would help bring it back into serious contention, so focused has it been on boosting Fox's overnights with its loyal audience. 
     The one-third of the adult audience that Fox targets can be brought back to spend hours on the network on a daily basis only as long as the GOP can whip up a daily frenzy for its commentators. So the party is more and more made up of personalities who can deliver reliable Neilsens like Palin and Bachmann. Plus spectacle-based programming like tea parties and "You lie!"
     I have to doubt predictions that the GOP will make gains in the midterms, especially as the economy improves. But that's not their game. After Obama's victory, viewership of news content by Democrats dipped (who watches Keith as loyally as they did last fall?), as progressives became less motivated. Now it's Fox's turn to shine, and they have a whole party behind it.