"Perhaps we (yes, I'm a Republican) should figure out why we don't appeal to more people."
You mean why the Republican (I'm not one) don't appeal to fringers who whine in the LP? Hmmmmmmmm? Maybe because they're sane.
Bush got 50 million votes last time. He didn't get the 150 million votes of those who voted "D" or didn't consider him (or Gore) worthy of a vote at all. A million LPers is a drop in the bucket. Why didn't the other 149 million vote for him?