That leaves some swaths of traditional conservatives without a major-party home, and endangers Republican electoral fortunes.

And two of the party’s mega-donors renounced the GOP last week: hedge fund manager Seth Klarman, once Republicans’ biggest donor in New England, and Les Wexner — the wealthiest GOP donor in Ohio, and founder, chairman and CEO of L Brands, which includes Victoria’s Secret.

For now, this is a crisis of the intellectual and power elite: “Morning” Joe Scarborough; his frequent guest Steve Schmidt; N.Y. Times columnist Bret Stephens; WashPost columnists George Will, Michael Gerson, and Max Boot…

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, 46, a rising star in the party, continues to flirt with leaving the party — a small sign of a talent crisis that could lie ahead for the GOP.