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The only 3rd party option that has a sliver of a chance is a self-funded billionaire or a conservative backed by a billionaire. That model had a chance of working with Perot, until Perot turned out to be insane. Suppose he had not been just a "crazy uncle" as someone put it, and supposed he had not been in the race merely to get Clinton elected. He was leading when he pulled out of the race the first time. He got involved around March or April that year, and by May was leading. He was able to get on the ballots on all 50 states, I think, with a brand new political party.

But.....he had his own money.

If Rush, announces tomorrow, he is ahead of Romney by 10 points. It become 43 Obama, 34 Rush, 23 Romney, give or take a few points. Or, make it Palin with the Koch brothers behind her. I think Jack Welch is too old, but someone like that. Trump, even though I didn't trust him to be a conservative, was in the running as a serious independent when he was out there for a while.

The strategy would be to outdistance Romney heading into the stretch, and then to convince the Rinos to throw in with the new party. If they don't, the new party can still win, because of the way our system is structured. What you need is a plurality in enough states to get to 270. All the states that Bush got in 2004.

Ironically, it is the exact formula used to elect Abraham Lincoln with something like 39 percent of the vote. As that 1860 election spelled the end of the Whig party, so the victory of the Tea Party could spell the end of Lincoln's party, which is fitting. The GOP has become the party of progressives who want to run corporations and manage the economy and the little people.

I would like to see this scenario play out, but the odds are long and time is fast running out. If no one steps up soon, the choice will be Mitt or Barry. I told myself last time that I would never vote for a RINO again, that if they did it to us again, I would not go along. Even then, I only supported McCain because of Palin, and because I learned more about Obama and knew he was a marxist. What will I do this time? If no one does step up this time, I have not decided whether the long term interests of conservatism and the USA will better be served by voting out Obama for Romney, or letting the GOPe get what they deserve. I will take some time to think about that one.

Let's hope someone steps up.

Wrong on facts. The Whig party had self destructed earlier than 1860. The Speaker of the House was Republican in 1856.

It was the Democratic party that self destructed in 1860, running no less than 4 candidates, each convinced that he had ‘the answer’ to the looming crisis.

The only 3rd party option that has a sliver of a chance is a self-funded billionaire or a conservative backed by a billionaire. That model had a chance of working with Perot, until Perot turned out to be insane.

I remember the 1992 run by Perot very clearly and I attended a Perot rally in June of that year in Boston. At that time, Perot had incredible momentum and actually led the Republican and Democrat candidates in national polls.

I do not think Ross Perot was insane or a "crazy uncle". Somebody got to him. I'm not normally into conspiracies but I think there is some validity to the notion that there is a "shadow" government that dictates who can and can't reach positions of power at the national level and that they have the ability to destroy those who seek such power without their backing.

I thought it was rather odd that the Perot candidacy imploded that summer in such a bizarre manner. That was not the Ross Perot that built billion dollar companies and paid commandos to rescue his employees who were taken hostage in Iran. I also thought it odd that Sarah Palin did not seek the presidency this go-around even though the GOP nomination was apparently hers for the taking.