see, this is what the republican ticket really ought to look like. i'll grant them that. the policies are far more identifiable with what i would define as a conservative candidacy.
as it happens to be i'm not a conservative. at all. so, no thanks.
but the way this is shaping up, conservatives may end up being one of the more important voting blocs. i don't think either of the major candidates have a real advantage amongst small-c conservatives, right now. a three-way split may end up deciding the election.
if you want a historical precedent, you may want to consult the canadian election of 1993. i know you want to go to ross perot, but this may be a more violent break in the tent than that. the situation was very different, but the end result left the conservative movement split in half for a very long time.