If Palin, Newt, Rand Paul, Cain, West, and a couple of other “names” would join together to form a Conservative party, I really think it could happen.
Of course the GOP will play the “splitting the GOP vote empowers the Dems” card. I’m not sure there is much difference in the GOP leadership and the Dems. So that argument really doesn’t matter to me.
The difference is that Bush the younger gave us Roberts and Alito, and Obama gave us Kagan and Sotomayor.
I will vote for Santorum in the primary and Romney in the general.
While I think Gingrich has been more conservative for longer, he is also more erratic and volatile. I believe Romney is more likely to govern in accordance with how he runs for election, so the fact that he has been drifting to the right (regardless of what may be in his heart) makes me comfortable that he won’t sell us out in the end.
Furthermore, real change will come from the House. All that is necessary is that we get a president who will not veto, and a Senate that will not block (so we need DeMint and Paul and Johnson to keep the pressure on McConnell!). In fact, I think it may be politically advantageous to have a president who is perceived by the electorate as being more moderate.