Robert Downey Jr. may be enjoying the top of the box office chart with Tropic Thunder, but his reign as Rolling Stone cover star is up. He makes room for an in-depth exploration of how George W. Bush managed to destroy the Republican party. Click below for an excerpt from the excellent cover story by Sean Wilentz, and stay tuned for more features from the new issue.

• How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party
• Video: Five Ways Bush Sunk the GOP
• Table of Contents: Inside the New Issue

More George W. Bush:
• Investigating Bush
• The Great Iraq Swindle