How am I acting like the fight is over?
Youre saying there is no chance of getting an actually good candidate for president in on the republican ticket while the mainstream GOP would-be nominees are self-destructing. Crispy Crème is dead in the water with his antics, Jeb Bush has no chance with his family's heritage so who else is there with enough broad appeal? Bobby Jendal is about the only other semi known republican that might have a chance besides Rand. Rand is well known, well liked and energizes a whole different sect of the voting base that the old crusty neocon republicans have no stake in. Whether the GOP establishment likes it or not theyre F'd and have no choice but to lose the election or find someone that appeases the changing voter base. They know that, they don't like it, but theyre going to have to deal with it.
So don't act like its a hopeless cause to get a decent candidate we want. I actually agree with most of what you said except the third party stuff. We've already got a third party emerging in the republican party. The leno interview with Boehner is proof positive of this. His comment specifically about the government shutdown where he talks about how he cant be a leader when the people he is leading are going another direction. I truly believe if we keep the heat up on the GOP establishment for the next year they wont be able to viably field a candidate from the GOP good ole boy club and will have to select someone like Rand.