The 3rd parties are not to "blame" for anything the GOP did to itself. A number of weeks back, Rick Perry gave a speech to a group of evangelicals where he expressed surprise that libertarians and others of their like didn't rush to the arms of the GOP and their Christain conservatives. I had to laugh when I read the report; people advocating personal liberty and self-responsibility wanting to join with a faction that seems bent on controlling and dictating every aspect of personal life and choice under the banner of "Christian values". It is rather like the Taliban wondering why secular Muslim Turks are not rushing to their banner. If the GOP had given the American voters any better reasons and/or a better candidate, they would have taken the votes away from Obama. There is always going to be about a 5% or less of the electorate who is going to be part of the 3rd party vote. This should be, and is, by those who are realists about elections, factored into the expectations of any party in the presidential elections. They are not out to get a majority of 100% of the voter pool - they have to get a majority of the +/-95% remaining pool. The only real break in this pattern is when there is a populist surge resulant in a3rd party candidacy appealing to some of the more aminstream voters such as Wallace and Perot. Otherwise, both parties should face reality there is no chance they are going to get that +/- 5% chunk...
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