There is some very good analysis by Zak Moore (I'll call him "Young Zak") over at Roanoke Red Zone.

Young Zak smartly starts out by pointing out a major difference between the American political system and other systems around the world. That is that in the US various factions come together under a Party banner prior to elections in order to govern, whereas elsewhere there are many parties that come together after they are elected to form a functioning majority government.

While I don't think that the GOP coalition is "dead" by any means, I do agree with Young Zak's premise that it is a coalition of views and voices that is necessary for the continued health of our Party. To me, the GOP has never been about a series of automotons marching in lockstep with one another, but rather it is about a free market of ideas. If we foster such an environment of competition, then we can be confident that in the end the best ideas will win. And I strongly believe those winning ideas will be conservative ones.

The only thing I would add to Young Zak's analysis is that in order for the Big Tent to hold ground against the political winds, there must be some common principles upon which the factions can agree. In the GOP those things have typically been a strong military, small government and fiscal restraint, and traditional moral values. When we begin to undermine those "long poles" that hold up the GOP's big tent, we are in for trouble.