All this happened, I am convinced, not out of criminal intent but something far more mundane: the temptations of unchecked power. After the 2004 election, Rove was given a far-reaching portfolio — overseeing political affairs, policy and personnel. His operation went on a power trip — and was ineffective at advancing conservative ideals. After Rove took over policy chores, the administration passed no significant conservative legislation through a Republican Congress. Within 24 months the GOP lost the House, the Senate, a majority of governorships and the presidency. After Rove’s feuds with many of his White House colleagues, his departure less than a year after the 2006 midterms seemed more welcome, and less voluntary, than commonly assumed at the time.

The crumbling of the conservative movement, though, is not merely a story of past events to be dissected. Thousands marched in Washington last weekend to protest the Obama administration’s expansion of the role of the federal government. This is an important debate. But the message on such serious issues is undercut when conservatives are lumped together with those bashing Obama as a secret Muslim and questioning his citizenship. Indeed, one of the organizers of the “birther” movement is a former personnel vetter at the Pentagon.