This is why I said Cruz and Trump should have left the GOP in the first place.
But thanks to all the little sycophants screaming about GOP no matter what, we once again have to spend time and resource fighting the GOP and our supposedly own people who defend them, rather than fighting open democrats.
They wouldn’t have gotten where they are without the publicity & validation of becoming dominating Republican candidates. They’d have been a freak sideshow, neat guys but not getting serious attention in the media. Instead they’re playing by the normal rules, slaughtering the competition, becoming indisputable leaders of the pack (Carson being the only serious alternative, but he’s self-destructing now), totally wrapping up the name recognition and support. NOW they leave the GOP, they can have a realistic shot at winning as a 3rd party, or they can stay and wrench the Republican party from GOPe control.
No way they could have succeeded as a ground-up 3rd party.