In order to have a revolution (peaceful or violent) you must eliminate the political center and polarize the population. No fence-sitters allowed! As fporreto noted above, it is people, not parties that must be persuaded.
Does the incentive and constraint structure of either major party permit such polzrizing activity? In my opinion, wrenching the reins of the party from the careerist big-government types faces at least as many obstacles as wrenching the presidency itself from the major parties. It is the same argument, same problem, just one place removed.
Cart in front of the horse. The average voter does not get to hear you unless you are in a major party. That isn't fair or even optimal or just, but it is reality and we need to deal with it since we live in that world and we don't yet make the rules.Parties and their platforms are not static. It doesn't really matter whether we takeover, rename, branch off or start something new. We have to be a player, and the quickest way there is through one of the major parties. Hell, we could even try it with the democratic party, that would be fun. I just think it would be more efficient to do it with the Republican party, but who knows, maybe this is another one of life's little ironies. Maybe taking over the Demo party would be easier since it is packed with lazy morons.