Did the show take a hit when it started giving Cartman his comeuppance

[TMC]

Basically, Cartman's utter disregard for others coupled with his success and ability to outsmart others drove the show. But once they started putting Cartman in his place, rid of Kenny, ran through replacement characters, and ultimately put Randy in the lead, did it basically tear apart the fabric of the show? By this point, it seemed like the show just became about satirizing current events instead of just being about the characters in their little world.