Dr. Keyes has great ideas. Unfortunately, he is blind. His cannot seem to understand that the GOP cannot be "fixed".
Conservatives have been trying to fix the GOP since AuH2O. Every election we hear, "Just a little more patience. The conservatives have almost managed to turn the GOP around. Just stick with us a little longer and we'll reform this party."
We've been hearing it for 40 years now. And the GOP keeps getting further and further to the left.
Keyes is smarter than the average Republican. But he still believes that the GOP can be fixed. So it is not surprising that many "conservatives" believe it too.
For a third party to succeed, it would have to get the support of these "conservatives". I don't think that will be possible. To them, the GOP is their "team". They support them no matter what. It's like being a Cubs fan. Cubs fans support the team even though they know that the team is going to disappoint them.
During the last election I talked up third parties. I backed the Libertarians, but their constant harping on drugs destroys any chance of people listening to their ideas. They have to face facts. Most people do not want drugs to be cheap and readily available. Plus the stupid lies they tell about drugs are so transparent that it destroys all their creditability. (Before the flames start, I am also against the War on Drugs because it is unconstitutional.)
I thought that it was possible to build a third party. After all, most people are so dissatisfied with the current parties, they don't even vote. In theory, it ought to be possible to energize these people.
But I think that most of them have become dissatisfied with the system. They believe that no matter who they put into office, it will be more of the same. Until we can convince them that we intend fundimental changes to the system, they are likely to stay on the sidelines. I think it will take something fairly dramatic to convince them.
IMHO, there are not enough voters of Keyes' caliber to support such a possibility!