They ran John C. Fremont for President.
What we need is a NEW REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE. Simply form it and invite state Republican parties to send delegates to an organizing meeting.
It's up to the state parties to disfellowship the RNC.
I feel your pain. But the diagnosis is terminal. The Republicans replaced the Whigs and now we need to replace the Republican concept. The Union was saved. The slaves are freed. Now we need to save the Republic and the Constitution, which is rapidly deconstructing itself into a Latin-American-style oligarchy.
Eventually, The Two Party System might give way to a 4 or 5 party system. Perhaps we can develop a 6-year, one term Presidency to go along with it. Karl Rove, Ted Cruz, and Jim DeMint cannot rationally co-exist within 1 party. Republicans? Constitutionalists? Democrats? Socialists? Progressives? Right, Left, Center Right, Center Left, Far Right, Far Left?
Drawback? Requires citizens capable of some level of rational thought, knowledge, and action; not the tattooed, pierced, permanent 14-year old adolescent, overweight ani that appear to be the typical gimme-gimme American Wal-Mart Shopper of today.