Wanna get really depressed? Read Thomas Frank's
The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule. It tells how conservatives manipulated public opinion and built up their noise machine of think-tanks and foundations. Then, when they got control of government, they handed out billions to friendly corporations, subverted regulatory agencies, ran up the debt, and destroyed government and unions -- all in the name of "liberty" and "getting government off our backs."
By making government fail and by driving up the debt, conservatives won, because they directed money to their buddies, drowned government in the bathtub of debt, and made citizens lose faith in government. Citizens then became more amenable to calls for lower taxes (tea parties, for example).
Even though Republicans lost the election they still won: large numbers of Republicans moved directly into industry and lobbying firms after leaving office.
Of course, the Dems aren't immune to the lure of money. But you gotta admit that the Republicans have been more brazen and thorough about corruption. After all, for conservatives government is evil, so it's good to destroy it and show'em that it's hopeless.