Nonsense. You can't dismiss Cape Air on the basis of the equipment they fly. This argument was never about that.

Southwest has succeeded as a stand-alone major airline. Cape Air has succeeded as a stand-alone regional airline. The conclusion is that either can succeed without the other.

Most of the majors have put themselves in a position to depend on the regionals, and vice-versa. And this co-dependency has driven a stake between the two. But to say there is no other way, well that it clearly far from reality.