Ronald Brownstein Examines the Current Republican Presidential Campaign.

Washington Post reporter Dan Balz sizes up the state of the Republican party — including how the GOP is preparing for 2012 and how it has been affected by recent sex scandals.

The journalist's new book, "The Power and the Glitter," looks at alliances between politicians across the ideological spectrum with movie stars and other celebrities. Brownstein is the national political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.

New York Times political reporter Robert Draper says the Republican party's embrace of lies and conspiracy theories has opened the door to fringe actors, who have become among the party's most influential leaders. He points to Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene as a prime example of the party's extreme new direction.