Just as the U.S. Constitution is only a piece of paper if we do not live by it and defend it, the values of the Republican Party are non-existent if they are not lived by those who profess to represent them.
That is the very reason I left the Republican Party. And, believe me, I fought tooth and nail to stay, running as a Republican candidate myself to try to bring representation for myself that I wasn't finding from elected Republicans.
What I discovered as a candidate was that there is no place within the Republican Party for someone like me who believes that the party has failed the people when it comes to providing them with any representation. The front row view of politics in our state which I have had has shown me that the Republican Party is far more concerned with ensuring the protection of politicians and their "important" friends in political circles than they are in ensuring the protection of the rights of the people.