I absolutely agree with you that the key question is “Where do we go from here?”
Supporting Romney serves the goal of beating Obama, as others in this thread have noted. The trouble is that that’s a short-term goal. The longer-term effect of conservative support for Romney is to encourage, strengthen, and even entrench the RINOs.
Voting third party promotes the long-term goal of giving voters a conservative alternative, because it makes clear to Republican Party leadership that the path to victory is the Reaganite path.
Even if we’re stuck with Romney as the nominee in 2012, do you want to be stuck with him again in 2016?
Yes, but if 0bama gets in again, it's game over. I don't think we get another chance to make a mistake. Romney is not what the country needs, but ...
Voting third party promotes the long-term goal of giving voters a conservative alternative, because it makes clear to Republican Party leadership that the path to victory is the Reaganite path.
Yes, but at also assures Husein of another term. Again I really don't think we get another shot here. Think of the closing scene in Thelma & Louise, with 0bama driving the car. That's where the country's headed.
Even if we’re stuck with Romney as the nominee in 2012, do you want to be stuck with him again in 2016?
No I don't, but we're in a bind, we don't have the luxury of saying "maybe 4 more years of 0bama will teach the GOP a lesson.", it won't. IMHO we'll worry about 2016 starting in 2014.