AHC: Decline of the Republican Party, Rise of the Libertarian?

Your challenge, is to create a scenario in which 2012 will result in the Republican coming third, coming behind the Libertarian and Democrat.

Of course this is implausible, that is why it is an AH Challenge. All PoDs permitted as long as its after the creation of the Libertarian Party.
 
Your challenge, is to create a scenario in which 2012 will result in the Republican coming third, coming behind the Libertarian and Democrat.

Of course this is implausible, that is why it is an AH Challenge. All PoDs permitted as long as its after the creation of the Libertarian Party.

Its so hard. :(
 
This will likely be so ASB, it's not even funny, but whatever:

Election 2012. Romney/Ryan wins narrowly, even after Obama/Biden wins the popular vote. Going into the Presidency with low approvals already, Israel invades Iran, which Romney is more than happy to invade himself. Boots on the ground are unsuccessful in the first months, and unemployment rises to double digits. An attempted repeal of ObamaCare fails, and Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and others become Independents. Romney and Ryan are assassinated in Salt Lake City by a radical Christian terrorist, and John Boehner ascends to the Presidency. Midterms 2014 are a failure, with Democrats controlling both Houses of Congress. A primary challenge by Rand Paul looks to doom Boehner's chances, but surprisingly, Paul Jr. runs on the Libertarian ticket instead with Gary Johnson. After being destroyed in the debates by Hillary Clinton, the election results come in. Paul narrowly defeats John Boehner by less than one point in the Popular Vote. :p
 
Judging by the glee I've seen expressed at the notion of those floating "libertarian nation states" being slaughtered by pirates or a third-world military by people on both sides of the political spectrum, I find this incredibly, incredibly unlikely.
 

d32123

Banned
Judging by the glee I've seen expressed at the notion of those floating "libertarian nation states" being slaughtered by pirates or a third-world military by people on both sides of the political spectrum, I find this incredibly, incredibly unlikely.

You express glee at the slaughter of your fellow man?
 
You express glee at the slaughter of your fellow man?

I think he is making an off-color joke about the inability of things like the Minerva Republic to defend itself when the government of Fiji took exception to their experiment as it was occurring on an island claimed by Fiji, and moved troops onto the island and basically kicked the Minerva settlers out.
 
You express glee at the slaughter of your fellow man?

No. Every time some young gazzilionaire goes out to start one of those floating "Galt's Gulches", I see a disturbing number of comments by liberals and conservatives expressing a desire to see them wiped out by pirates or something to "teach them a lesson". Granted, the internet brings out an ugly side of people, but it's a recurring theme.
 

d32123

Banned
No. Every time some young gazzilionaire goes out to start one of those floating "Galt's Gulches", I see a disturbing number of comments by liberals and conservatives expressing a desire to see them wiped out by pirates or something to "teach them a lesson".

Oh, I know, I just misread your post and thought you were one of those people expressing a desire to see them wiped out by pirates or something to "teach them a lesson". I thought you said "Judging by the glee I've expressed" and totally missed the word "seen" in the middle.
 

Japhy

Banned
Just the other week I developed a proposal for the Wikibox of the Week thread and made a brief list of elections for it that just about meets the criteria of the Challange, and could be easily changed to allow for such a thing.

By various means (I chose to have FDR Live longer) one can develop a strain of Social Democracy in the Democratic Party, a Second New Deal/Second Bill of Rights, a Fair Deal enacted, avoiding Kennedy, Dixiecrat and McGovern type factions in Democrats while supporting the triumph of Stevenson/Harriman Johnson/Humphrey line of thought can lead to a serious triumph of Social Democracy, alot of people in the late 1960's before the Vietnam quagmire and the Conservative blow back thought it was possible. Avoid Vietnam and the Social Left Front can go on unbroken.

With this agenda after Eisenhower it might very well be impossible for the Republicans to ever gain traction again, deal at the same time with divisions in the Conservative movement caused my McCarthy, George Wallace, the Segregationists, Barry Goldwater etc and you can break the party. I had the GOP in my scenario die in the early 1970's but it could go on theoretically even after its defeats.

In the face of massive social engineering, the repeal of part of the bill of rights, a massive cradle-to-grave welfare state and US foreign policy being on a big Nationbuilding/Peacekeeping bent the Decline of the GOP and the Left-shift of the Democrats leaves alot of political minds left in the void, and thus in the 1970's a push for a smaller government unites under the Libertarians.

In the event of the Timeline the change has to come in 1972 where HHH, Ed Muskie, or another figure representing the Left of the New Deal Coaliton, who's not George McGovern or Eugene McCarthy takes office. Then the cycle can get back on track, With Nixon representing a final blip on the GOP chances radar. After this canidate beats Nixon off again in 1976, you start seeing that same shift I described, so that by the 1990's the GOP is dead in the water, and in the 1980's the Libertarians rise up as the new opposition party (Having also to beat off an attempt by the Reform Party to do the same).
 
Well, this would be more of after the 2012 election, but, if the Republicans continue to embrace faith-based political issues, I could see that cause a split and drive more moderate Republicans into the Libertarian fold.
 
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