Libertarians in 1980 break 5%

The 1980 Libertarian Campaign was a highwater mark before Gary Johnson came along in 2012. Ed Clark and David Koch managed to break 1% of the vote in a year where there already was a high-profile independent candidate.

What if the Libertarians had gotten 5% in 2012?

It doesn't have to be the Clark-Koch ticket per se. Eugene McCarthy supported Clark before endorsing Reagan for example, so he could perhaps play a role. Odds are the Libertarians doing better would require Anderson not running (and perhaps Bush beating Reagan?).

Would this prevent Rothbard from driving the Kochs out of the party?
 
POD: Gerald Ford narrowly wins the 1976 presidential election, and his coattails leading to Ron Paul winning reelection to his House seat as well (IOTL Paul won a special election in 1976 only to lose that year's general election, before coming back in 1978). The extra years in Congress give Paul more national exposure in 1979/1980, in the context of the Ford Administration making some policy decisions that anger conservatives. Paul dramatically leaves the Republican Party, and the Libertarians reward him with their presidential nomination.

Though eligible, Ford opts not to run for reelection in 1980. However, he heavily backs some establishment Republican (maybe Bush, maybe somebody else) to run in his place, lest Reagan or Helms wrest the party from him. Ford's handpicked successor narrowly wins the nomination, outraging Reaganites.

In this atmosphere, the Paul/Koch ticket wins around 6% of the popular vote, mostly concentrated in the West and among former Reagan supporters.
 
POD: Gerald Ford narrowly wins the 1976 presidential election, and his coattails leading to Ron Paul winning reelection to his House seat as well (IOTL Paul won a special election in 1976 only to lose that year's general election, before coming back in 1978). The extra years in Congress give Paul more national exposure in 1979/1980, in the context of the Ford Administration making some policy decisions that anger conservatives. Paul dramatically leaves the Republican Party, and the Libertarians reward him with their presidential nomination.

Though eligible, Ford opts not to run for reelection in 1980. However, he heavily backs some establishment Republican (maybe Bush, maybe somebody else) to run in his place, lest Reagan or Helms wrest the party from him. Ford's handpicked successor narrowly wins the nomination, outraging Reaganites.

In this atmosphere, the Paul/Koch ticket wins around 6% of the popular vote, mostly concentrated in the West and among former Reagan supporters.
Imagine a result in Alaska with the Democrats and Libertarians in 1st and 2nd place respectively!
However, the Libs won't get congressional representation, as they only did well in districts where a more major party didn't nominate opposition.
 
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