Yup, absolute contempt. I agree 100% with you. It is simply infuriating that people waste their votes like this.
Movement conservatives and TEA party folks are, for the most part, correctly pushing the Republican party to the right WITHIN the GOP structure. This is good. We should be running the most conservative candidates than have a chance to win a general election, collectively vote for them in the primaries, and over time the Republican party is forced to the right.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few people who whine and cry that they didn't get who they wanted in the primaries so they take their ball and go home. These types waste their votes on 3rd party's and serve only to split the right of center vote and ensure Democrats win seats they otherwise shouldn't have.
And you know what's funny? These are the same people that scream and wail when RINO/"moderate" voters won't adequately support conservative candidates that win in the Republican primaries. The truth is, these factions are both equally pathetic. If they don't get their way they cry, complain, and refuse to step up to the plate and vote for the nominee facing off against the Democrat.
If it ain't broke--don't fix it and your strategy is 100 per cent correct and it's the very strategy that moved this country to the right in the last election.