Did Cruz have a better chance winning in TX if he ran as a 3rd party for Senate, or if he won the Rep. nomination? Seems to me the latter, since he was able to knock out 1 out of 2 potential opponents right there.
The party label doesn’t make a difference. We know the difference between a Cruz and a McCain. It just seems easier and more efficient to work within the Republican party by winning their primaries with good candidates.
If the “name” is tarnished, the perception of any brand name can change over time. Either way, we’re going to need to find 25 more Cruzes to run in the Senate. I don’t see the harm in running them as Republican primary opponents first.
My belief is that creating a third party or the threat of a third party would have some impact on the direction of the Republican party, and of course I would vote for a Tea Party backed Republican candidate. But I am not giving the R Party anything more, they’ve squandered my trust, hope and effort.