That's pretty much what I was getting at, and have been getting at for months now.
Look, let's face it - the GOP has problems. It's infested with RINOs who are completely unrepresentative of the vast majority of rank and file registered Republicans, who are conservatives. Much of the GOP "leadership" rightly deserves those scare quotes.
So what is the solution to this problem? Is it splitting up conservatives into a gadzillion different worthless little third-parties, most of which exist as little more than ego-trips for their founders?
No. Going third party in a political climate like we have right now (and I mean structurally, not partisanship) is, unequivocably, absolutely, all in completely all about the stupidest thing conservatives could possibly do.
The solution is to retake the party, county by county, state by state. It can be done. We've already done in my county - we replaced a moribund, country-clubbish Rockefeller-type apparatus with an energetic, roundly conservative set of precinct and executive leadership. We're one of the most liberal counties in America, outside of the hard-core inner cities - so if we can do it (and see the level of enthusiasm from registered party members in the county that we are), then why can't it be done in solid red counties all across the country?
Problem is, this requires effort on the part of people. It requires time and energy and money. These are things that the vast majority of the nose-picking third-party whiners on here are unwilling to invest. Remember, it's much easier to sit back and complain about past wrongs and throw stones at people and support a third party where you won't actually have to do anything, than it is to get involved and do actual legwork and whatnot.
We can sit here and whine about the GOP leadership and the RINOs, but sooner or later, conservatives are going to have to face the cold, hard fact that the reason the GOP has problems is because too many CONSERVATIVES were too lazy to step up and do what needed to be done when we had power. Look, the current problem isn't just Arlen Specter and John McCain's fault. It's the fault of a lot of rank-and-file conservatives who didn't do their jobs.
It is a illegimate assumption on your part that those who do so have not been active and loyal Party members.
The reality is that this Party has lost its central guiding principle-individual freedom.
To regain it would take a purge of 90% of the GOP leaders, from Steele to Specter.