Before we get to viable third, fourth parties, etc., we are going to have to pass through a Valley of Chaos. People will have to see upclose and personal what Tyranny really looks like in operation and what it means for their daily lives and their future. We're not there yet, but we're getting there, and if we pass health care "reform," cap & trade, an amnesty, a suppression of free political speech, and disarmament, we will have learned The Lesson. What happens then is anyone's guess.
The GOP has been irrelevant for some time now. These are prosperous men who just want to get along and hang on to their perquisites and power.