Okay, since Republicans believe in "intelligent design", imagine what the evolution of a political party would look like, if you were free to design one from the gound up.
In the end, the dominant, majority party would have the following characteristics:

Strong on principle no matter what (even if said priniciples are contradictary)
Willing to completely crush oppostion (two party system? Bah!)
Intolerant of dissent (unAmerican!)
Intolerant of ideas in general, unless they fit established dogma
Willing to perpetuate lies, so long as that means victory
Willing to commit vote fraud
Bent on controlling the media, while insisting the oppostion controls the media
Appealing to prejudices, while pretending to be all inclusive
Materialistic, while pretending to be more spiritual than the oppostion
Willing to use war and tragedy for political purposes
Blind to corruption within
Blind to incompetence within (so long as power can be maintained)
Willing to ignore or rewrite history

We know the above characteristics are achievable, because we see them in practice, in today's Republican machine. Now, once such a party evolves, it will destroy everything in its path, while growing, and sustaining itself with money and power. Nothing can stop it, without a dramatic shift in environmental conditions. Then it will have to "adapt" if it can. Otherwise it will shrink. But...here's the catch: It's not designed to adapt. In order to adapt, evolution requires variability. When you purposely design something and leave out the variability part, you're inviting extinction.
Those who are saying the Republican Party is finished are totally credible. The question is, when the backlash comes, how much will be directed against "The Government" in general vs the party in power? That's why any party waiting in the wings to assume majority status must distance itself in every way from the monster described above.

"The question is, when the backlash comes, how much will be directed against 'The Government' in general vs the party in power?"

An interesting question...indeed one worthy of consideration. What is your proposal on how to direct this backlash?

The backlash will be directed at those in power, to be exploited by
those recognized as agents of change.
Many here have suggested a reengineered Democratic Party. I agree, and I
think the best way to avoid the coming backlash is to acknowledge that:
1) Things are bad, very bad. In the campaign, there was this crazy sense
that the candidates had to be "positive" lest they be labeled gloom and
doom pessimists. It's time to start warning the public that current
policies are unsustainable.
2) The Democratic Party has real shortcomings that need to be addressed.
It has become transformed into the party of entitlement and
overregulation. Debate that issue all you want, but until they ask
themselves "How did we go from majority to minority in such a brief
period?" they won't come up with answers.

In the end, the political process can only do so much. We have to
recognize that our biggest problems are cultural, and changing the
culture is not up to the parties. All a political party can do is provide the vision. Right now the cultural vision being offered by the dominant party is one of self destruction. The alternative vision has yet to be articulated, at least not in a manner that can counter the cultural effects of our present course.