I don't think so, either. What the official GOP has decided to do is "make hay while the Sun shines." That is, occupy enough safe seats to make sure that their major contributors are well positioned with their hay in the barn, for that inevitable time when the Sun sets.
Think back to The Revolution. About 25-30% of the colonists supported it, about 1-2% actually fought for it. Another 30% of the people wanted to keep the King, and the rest hung around to see what was going to happen. And that's the way the electorate breaks down today. 35% reliable Republicans, 40% reliable Democrats, and the rest "independents," i.e., people who have no clue about what's going on but just want to survive and will apparently vote for whomever promises them the most.
The GOP will jettison any ideology that they think will hurt their appeal to Group C. I do not deny the Tea Party's power. But they are still a distinct minority and b the cold light of dawn, will not have the legislative vote-power to shape events over the next two years. That will not prevent them for being blamed for them; blamed that is, by BOTH the Democrats and the GOP.
Agreed
That must be some sort of estimate across all the colonies, because it doesn't apply here in northwestern NC. Everybody I knew grewing up was descended from settlers in the colonial era, and everybody had a Revolutionary War veteran in the family tree, sometimes more than that. I have seven. The Tories were all routed out back then, either killed or run off from the country, their properties seized and sold to defray war expenses.