Plus if going third party is the way to go then how come Ronald Reagan didn't go down that path after he lost to Ford in the 1976 primary. Reagan could have easily gotten himself into a hissy fit and ran as an independent in 1980 claiming the GOP was nothing but a bunch of gutless RINOs who abandoned him.
I thank God Reagan stuck with the GOP because if he had run as a third party candidate in 1980 he would have split the conservative vote, giving us four more years of Jimmy Carter and denying us eight years of the Reagan Revolution and the greatest era of freedom and prosperity this nation has ever had.
As someone who greatly admires Reagan and his great legacy it is my desire to follow his example and not just hear his words because the Reagan I admired not only was a great speaker who gave great speeches, he was a man who put his words into action which is what I remember most about him. I believe if he were around today he would still be a committed Republican despite it's faults, because it had many of those same faults when he ran in 1976 and in 1980.
If the GOP was good enough for Reagan it's good enough for me and I want to do everything I can to change it from within. If we conservatives can't take back a political party then how can we ever expect to take back a whole nation? Plus what will conservatives do if their favorite third party becomes infested with squishy moderates? Are we then going to hear conservatives blathering about how we need a fourth party?
Plus if going third party is the way to go then how come Ronald Reagan didn't go down that path
The most remarkable thing about your post, looked at in its entirety, is how backward-looking it is.
Republican Generals, fighting the last war.
Pretty much like the French before WWII.
Good question! IMHO, we have made it into a period during which the Republic will not best be served by two, big-tent parties. A Conservative Party that can pull 20-30% of the vote can Keep Republicans (1), Democrats (2) and Liberals (3) honest.
The problem is the process. The Democrats have not yet split along natural lines of ideology (which they will, someday). The Republicans are much closer, therefore a third party will hand the Democrats even more complete control than they have now.
Again, strictly imho, the key to the conundrum lies in local control and a new era of constitutional states rights. The entire Federal trend from FDR onward, is based upon an exension of the Interstate Commerce Clause ... not that much of a philosophical base when one comes to think about it.