The Republican Party started as the alternative to the Whigs. The two currently main Parties are not sacrosanct.
Yes, but at that time, our Republic was still intact. At this point in time, our Republic is hanging by a thread--and some would argue that it's dead. Today, we don't have time to sit back and let a third party go through numerous defeats, because in the meantime, the communist Democrats will fully solidify their unstoppable tyranny, if they haven't already.