Is Aikin the straw that will break the GOP's back?

"Well, you know, since, as you’ve said, we’ve had some time for this to be giving some very serious thought to that, my sense is that I’m kind of back where we started in the primary and over the last day or two I’ve had good friends — they are as close as brothers, Sean — and as I’ve talked to them I realized there are many other brave hearts who don’t quite fit into the political parties and where the parties are right now."

The rift has been there for some time - the political right is a hodge-podge of free marketers, social conservatives and libertarians who are primarily united by their contempt/fear of the other guys.  It's more surprising than not, really, that the GOP hasn't fragmented significantly before now.

Aikin might not be the spark for the carving off of a third Party.  But it's not impossible.