I share all the sentiments/frustrations of being left with a RINO choice for voting for President. Also, like you, my first choice was Palin (really badly wanted her to run, like so many others did). But then, after conducting a very public activist/agenda-promoting campaign for 3 years, she waited until the very very last minute to announce she was opting out of 'the' most important election in my lifetime of voting (since 1976).
Two things stand out with respect to my hopes and views of Palin:
1. I looked enthusiastically for 3 years towards her running for President (like so many others), based on her very public agenda-promoting activities on national issues. Cultivating a persona of 'fighter' and 'do-er' ("Mama Grizzly", etc..), perpetuating a direction of 'involvement' and attempting to influence the political direction of this country. All the while NEVER SAYING NO to running for President until the very very last minute. Taking things to the very edge of the precipice and then backing off - turned me off.
2. Along the way she exhorted that the most important thing in this primary would be... 'who' would be chosen, then proceeded to want to not provide any full-body endorsement of anyone (unless you call giving out endorsements on a 'state-by-state basis' a full-body endorsement). If you say and believe that it was 'that important', then why play coy and not come out and say 'who' it should be? The lack of focus and indecision on which conservative to support in the primaries contributed to a splitting of the vote by the also indecisive electorate, thereby giving Romney sufficient space to eek out some early wins.
So, in summary (for me) based on points 1 and 2 above.... Palin 'strung us out', and lost a momentous opportunity TO HOLD BACK THE LEAST DESIRABLE choice from getting the nomination. There are many people to blame for why we are stuck with Romney. You just can't blindly blame the "establishment", but a big share of the blame also has to go to "conservative" leaders and voters alike who allowed the "conservative" vote to be split instead of backing one single candidate - especially AFTER South Carolina!
So, my first choice turned out to be a Coke without the 'fizzle'.
Now what?
Do we continue to take on the 'primary' fight right up until November?
People need to look into the mirror and ask if they 'really' believe that this is just 'another election' or if 'our country's future is at stake'?
If you think that it's just another election, then play out your cards accordingly.
If you think that 'our country's future is at stake', then the choice should be obvious!
Yep...that would be Newt Gingrich!
I blame the candidates themselves (conservatives) for slicing and dicing each other and for not figuring out which one stood the best chance. Apparently the GOP-e can agree on a candidate. They operate knowing that conservatives can't. Therefore, the split vote belongs to conservatives who ran. Some should have stepped aside MUCH SOONER.
Next, I don't think the GOP is salvageable. I believe it is a wholly owned subsidiary of groups that have been writing its rules for so long that they have fireproofed it from takeover. Tea-parties, reform groups, firebrand leaders — none will be able to shake the hold the old guard has on the GOP. It is best to abandon that failing house and build another.
Finally, I don't want Obama or Romney. I honestly think that one is as bad as the other, so in that sense defeating Obama is not priority one. Priority one is defeating both of them. If Romney is permitted to continue his charade as a conservative, he will ruin the brand name for generations.
It is necessary, therefore, to have true conservatives in rebellion, so that his foolishness is exposed for the future as the liberalism that it is.
How will we do that? By voting for conservatives wherever we find them no matter the letter beside their name.