A new party is certainly an option, but very difficult to pull off. It has happened very rarely in our history. Better success has been achieved through changing an existing party. 40% of the country self identifies as conservatives, twice the number of liberals and more than those who say that they are moderate. Conservatives should dominate the Republican Party, but it won’t happen with people just sitting in a corner and pouting.
No pouting here, just no votes for RINO’s and writing in names of conservatives instead.
I’m waiting for the new party to emerge that will get my vote.
America needs its Nigel Farage.
Perot pulled it off and he was a nutjob. He was ahead in the polls, until he pulled out of the race. Imagine if someone with his money did the same thing today. Someone who didn't have to deal with the GOPe in New Hampshire and Iowa, and Dem cross-overs in open primary states, but just put together an organization, got on the ballot in 50 states, had the wherewithal to spend millions on advertising, and said,
"I am conservative. Here is what I believe. [insert conservative beliefs here, i.e., rule of law, low taxes, limited government, protect American jobs and workers, eliminate regulation, and so on]"
A candidate who can expose both parties for what they are, purveyors of an ever growing federal government.
He can identify conservative candidates in the GOP, and support their election. He can identify leftist candidates in the GOP and deny them support. When elected, he can work with the conservatives in Congress to enact his agenda. He will need only 1/3 support to ensure that Congress passes the budgets he approves, enough to sustain his vetoes. As the new party's popularity grows, candidates will move to his side. They may not join in the first election cycle, but as local infrastructure gets created, they will switch over in droves. Eventually, there will be a mass exodus from the GOP, as conservatives flock to the new party, and liberals switch to the Democrats.
This is the way it can work. Perot showed the way, but wasn't the man. Trump is not the man, either, but someone like that, or someone with that kind of money backing a Cruz, Mike Lee or Palin. That is how a third party could form. It requires a ton of money.
Whether a coalition of citizens banding together to form a new Tea Party could succeed, in the same manner as the Republicans were formed in the 1850s is questionable these days. Too many obstacles. So, when you talk about how difficult it would be to pull off, I agree with you if you think of it in terms of a new party growing from the ground up. I do think, though, that the top-down model would work with the right leadership. Will we ever see it? I don't know, my billions are spoken for.