Those who voted in 1856 for the Republican party threw their votes away for a third party, allowing the election of the greater of two evils. However, their principle was that slavery would not be extended into the territories, and would eventually be abolished, and they would not vote with the Whigs, who wanted to compromise with slavery. So they abandoned the Whigs as their vessal and built a party that expounded their principles. They lost in 1856, but they won in 1860.
If the GOP becomes the party that is interested in forwarding the socialist agenda, only doing it so that the Country Clubbers benefit, then we will have to look elsewhere for a conservative party. When is that point reached? I don't know, but a McCain nomination would be an indicator.
We probably reached that point years ago,