Remember the post-2014 GOP autopsy? Like its subject, it was dead on arrival:

But the bottom line is that Republicans appear to have decided to rely on a wildly favorable landscape, a built-in midterm turnout advantage, and of course money, to make predictable gains this November. Perhaps then the fear of another presidential loss may bring back talk of “rebranding,” but it’s just as likely you’ll hear conservatives arguing that a successful 2014 means the party doesn’t actually need to do anything different going into 2016 other than to rally the base, chip away at Hillary Clinton’s popularity, and choose an attractive presidential candidate. And if the base isn’t excited enough, there’s always impeachment.

The full article gives examples. Well worth a read.