Well, given the massive bailouts to the well-connected rich - bailouts that large numbers of politicians in both parties supported - I can't imagine why so many people became cynical towards corporatism. /sarcasm
IMO the key reason so many people simply didn't vote this time is a perception that no matter which guy won, the same crap would keep getting perpetuated.
And this is why it is so vital that the Tea Party maintain its identity apart from the GOP.
Well put.
We need to recognize that the Republican Party is a party without an ideology, only an appetite (for power).
Nonetheless, it is the only vehicle available by which the Tea Party can achieve victory. A third party -- a "Tea Party" -- is a fool's errand that would ensure Democrat dominance for, literally, ever.
Best that the Tea Party remain aloof and independent from the Republican Party -- influencing from outside, beyond the party's control. But, at the same time, we need to actively infiltrate the party -- with the aim of eventually controlling the leadership.
This was how the radical left took over the Democrat party. In 1968, they were across the street, in Grant Park, protesting the Democrat National Convention. In 1972, they were inside the building.