The GOP courted the far-right to gain control of Congress.  It worked, but the price paid was, of course, the soul of the Republican Party.  Any reasonable, rational, moderate office holders were branded RINOs and challenged by hard-core right-wing candidates with deep-pocketed donors in the GOP primaries.  Many either retired from office or were defeated.  You're now seeing the "new" GOP with Donald Trump at the helm.  

The 2016 election for President and Congress will tell us if the new "right-wing zealotry" which characterizes the "new GOP" will succeed or if the Party will be forced to swing back toward a more reasonable, moderate stance.  It will be interesting to see...............