Last night, millions of Americans tuned in to see a straight-talking megalomaniac strongman brutalize familiar characters without remorse.

For conservatives, it was just another day in the 2016 election cycle.

The GOP has been usurped by a bigger, badder, stronger, more potty-mouthed leader whose followers will do anything he asks. The old familiar cast of Republican characters, policies, ideas, hopes and dreams has been slaughtered one-by-one over the course of this political season, and no amount of crying or screaming or punching can stop it. In this spirit, I offer you a very Walking Dead-inspired breakdown of the ones we’ve lost along the way.

Spoiler Alert: Do not scroll down if you aren’t caught up on the Walking Dead.

Trigger Warning: Ideological conservatives may experience dizziness, nausea, or difficulty breathing as a result of reading past this point.

Group 1: The Young and the Old-School

Sophia — Bobby Jindal

Just like Bobby’s campaign, Sophia was gone before we even got to know her well. Young, full of life, and dead before we knew it. Sometimes promising beginnings and valiant efforts have to be put down outside a barn, or something.

Dale — Lindsey Graham

Okay, Dale, we get it. Democracy. Voting. Same with you, Lindsey; we know defense is important. Just stop talking and we’ll agree to hold a meeting about this later.

Shane — Newt Gingrich

Sleeps with other women? Check. Bold, unafraid to do what needs to be done? Check. Ultimately remembered as kind of a villain? Check, check, check.

Andrea — Carly Fiorina

Strong women sometimes get caught up in the fray, they get lost in the noise and the carnage the men around them have wrought, and sometimes they have questionable executive experience.

Group 2: The Heavy Hitters

Hershel — Antonin Scalia

Wise elder statesmen who stuck to their principles; gone too soon. The group really could have used their counsel in the days after their passing.

The Governor — Chris Christie

Bold, brash, large and in charge, these governors never backed down from a fight. Their personal ambition and even more personal grudges drove them to the brink of insanity, and perhaps beyond, as they brought down whomever they could with them before sinking into the abyss.

Pete Anderson — Corey Lewandowski

Abusers with an inflated sense of self-importance who got what was coming to them, we hope.

Tyreese — Rick Perry

They stood up and confronted the bad guys, early and often. They tried to make up for past mistakes and weren’t afraid to sacrifice for the greater good. These dudes were too good for the way things ended up.

Group 3: Tragic Timing

Bob — Scott Walker

Flawed men who fought to the end, getting taken apart piece by piece. They were just entering the prime of their lives and finding their footing, but sometimes the world just eats you up.

Beth — Rand Paul

Their involvement in the medical professions and growing strength over their time with us could not save them from tragic circumstances beyond their control. Their fans will never forget them, even as the show plays on.

Deanna — Jeb Bush

Tough, soft-spoken, experienced, and more than up to the task of leadership. In any other time, they would have continued to thrive and to make other people’s lives better for their efforts. Sometimes crazy is more exciting than good.

Group 4: The Hangers-On

Nicholas — John Kasich

Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting the good guys and helping the bad guys? You’re not cut out for this. Stop it! You’re going to get someone killed!

Sam Anderson, Jessie Anderson, Ron Anderson — Ben Carson

We think they mean well, most of the time. A lot of people believed in their potential. In the end, they were too weak and foolish to choose the right path, and they just helped the monsters in the process.

(Note: If Gabriel had died, you know he would have been Mike Huckabee)

Group 5: The Best and Brightest

Noah — Marco Rubio

Young, inspiring, and ready to build something great, these guys had mass appeal. Taken down by the stupidity of the hangers-on, they just weren’t strong enough to survive. What they could have done…

Abraham — Ted Cruz

These two guys were obsessed with D.C., threw haymakers at their foes, and couldn’t give a crap what their team members thought of them — on the surface, at least. Abraham’s last words are pretty close to what Cruz said in his speech to The Donald and his followers at the Republican National Convention. Nuts, indeed.

Glenn — Paul Ryan’s Standing in the GOP

These leaders rose up as young men, got what everyone else wanted, were pressed into service with humility and showed compassion to their enemies. Despite all this, they were singled out for violent opposition by the strongmen and their followers. They took one for the team, but their vision lives on.

What Next?

We don’t know what’s next for the men and women of The Walking Dead, but we’re pretty sure that Donald Trump has killed the chances of the GOP governing much of anything at the Federal level over the next few years. There’s always hope, and conservatives still have a cast of characters to which they can cling, but the carnage inflicted by the New Bats on the Block has been real and lasting. Even after November, I have the feeling We’re Just Getting Started.