GOP Presidential pre-debate sponsored by the John Birth Society and others

This is your new GOP Party. The John Birch Society used to be exiled to the fringes of American politics by both parties. In the 1950's they called Eisenhower a 'communist infiltrator, fought virulently against civil rights and claimed the Soviets were poisoning America through fluoridation of our drinking water. Not much has changed in their thinking, having called Nelson Mandela "a communist, terrorist thug" as recently as 2009.

Tonight they are one of the sponsors of the first GOP Presidential debate. Another sponsor is the Oath Keepers who according to Think Progress:

The Oath Keepers’ website is riddled with paranoid rhetoric about government officials “disarm[ing] the American people,” “confiscat[ing] the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies,” and “blockad[ing] American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.” In early 2008, the Oath Keepers’ founder warned that a “dominatrix-in-chief” named “Hitlery Clinton” would impose a police state on America and shoot all resisters. After primary voters chose a different candidate, the Oath Keepers simply rewrote their paranoid fantasy to include a taller, African-American lead.

Another group called the Exodus Mandate which believes public education is evil and all children should either be educated in a Christian environment or home schooled.

Note: These organizations are sponsors of a pre-debate rally. There is a difference, nuanced though it may be but the fact remains that extremist groups feel a lot more comfortable in the environs of the mainstream GOP and vice versa.