Historically, Wendell Willkie had planned with other leaders of the Liberal Party of New York to make it a national presence, himself running for the mayor of New York under its banner. Taking a train from Indianapolis to New York, he then proceeded to suffer more then twenty heart attacks. Passengers implored that he get off the train and go to a hospital, but he wanted to see his personal doctor. He made it to New York alive, but died in a hospital two days later.
Let us say that after the second heart attack (honestly, how could you go through more than TWENTY HEART ATTACKS and not go to the nearest hospital) he agrees to visit a hospital, and does not die. Could he have successfully made the Liberal Party a national party?