You're NOT going to have success with any kind of 'splinter' group ...
"Gee, has it occurred to you to actually start working at the local level and get qualified candidates on the ballot?
You're NOT going to have success with any kind of 'splinter' group ..."
Yes. Splinter groups are a recipe for electing democrats. Too many groups, not enough voters.
Trying to get a "qualified" candidate on the ballot is a good idea, however, the qualified candidates are too conservative for the majority of the voting block in any given district.
Am I sounding defeatist? Sorry. I just don't see any way out of the current situation. Well, there are ways. But, that's for another thread.
I did exactly that. I worked on the campaign of a conservative Republican congressional candidate who was a great candidate. He had already served as a State Representative, even as the Republican Majority Whip, and had a good conservative record in office and in other activities. The Republican establishment picked a liberal RINO jerk-wad to run against him, spent millions to get the liberal weasel elected, and when things didn't look good at all for him started a campaign of outrageous lies. The State Party, despite their promises, did nothing to make the lying ass campaign fairly in the primary. In fact, behind the scenes, they supported him.
Then the National Republican Congressional Committee took the unprecedented step to put money IN THE PRIMARY to support the liar weasel RINO candidate. More lies were spread. The state party did nothing, because they quietly supported the RINO.
Well, the conservative candidate won the Primary anyway. But the damage had been done by the RINO liar and the lies stuck. Despite promises of money and help from the NRCC and the state party, NONE of that happened in the General. The Republican Party from the state level up to the national level abandoned this conservative candidate and gave up the congressional district to the Democrat.
Hundreds of people worked for 3 years at the local level to get this qualified, excellent candidate on the ballot and elected. The state and national party didn't care. They came in and tried to push us aside for their coronated RINO scum candidate. They didn't (and still don't) care about what the grassroots Republicans want. They had their own plans and it involved only liberalism.
So, that's where working at the local level to get a qualified candidate on the ballot will get you.
You're NOT going to have success with any kind of 'splinter' group ...
Tell that to the Republican Party. Ever heard of the Whig Party?
The advantage to starting a third party is that you can get dumb people to donate money to your campaign from which you can draw a salary.