Why do Libertarians do so well in Indiana?

[CatoMinor]

I've noticed that in Indiana races its not uncommon for the Libertarian candidates to get 4-6% in some races which is better than most their counterparts in other states can do.  Indiana seems to be where the industrial midwest meets the south, neither of which are particularly libertarian.

[Hash]

Third parties do well where the local third party has managed to build up a fairly competent party which manages to run candidates in every election. After all, the Green Party does well in Arkansas and West Virginia; which definitely aren't the type of places where you'd expect a party with a reputation as tree-lugging hippies to do well; in contrast, Vermont has no Green Party and the Greens seem incompetent/dormant/useless in CA, OR, AK etc.

There's also because Indiana Republicans tend to nominate awful candidates (Misogynistic Creep Dick Mourdock, Washington Lobbyist Dan Coats)

[DC Al Fine]

Third parties do well where the local third party has managed to build up a fairly competent party which manages to run candidates in every election.

This. You see the same thing in a few ridings in Canada were the Greens get 10% of the vote consistently in a safe, rural Conservative seat. It's entirely based off of local competence.

[nolesfan2011]

Yep, its amusing Stein got higher % in Arkansas than Washington or something. To be fair Greens nationally are probably "strongest" in CA (followed by ME, AR, TX,WV, MA). Vermont has the prog party as a competent, left of dems, 3rd party.. so probably fills up any room for GP.  Libertarians seem strongest out west (MT, AK, CO,AZ) but weakest in the south, which I find suprising.. states like AL should be receptive.

Third parties do well where the local third party has managed to build up a fairly competent party which manages to run candidates in every election. After all, the Green Party does well in Arkansas and West Virginia; which definitely aren't the type of places where you'd expect a party with a reputation as tree-lugging hippies to do well; in contrast, Vermont has no Green Party and the Greens seem incompetent/dormant/useless in CA, OR, AK etc.

There's also because Indiana Republicans tend to nominate awful candidates (Misogynistic Creep Dick Mourdock, Washington Lobbyist Dan Coats)

[Kitteh]

To be fair, a fair amount of the Green strength in AR and WV has to do with the conservatism of the state Democratic party (plenty of people who would vote for Democrats in most places vote Green when the Dem is Mike Beebe or Joe Manchin). But it seems like that has translated into a stronger local organization which has translated into more national support.

In addition, maybe the relatively small gap between Ds and Rs in Indiana ideologically has something to do with it? Indiana is one of the few states that has had a lot moderates in both parties (Bayh, Lugar, Daniels, Donnelly, etc). Maybe that makes people more likely to vote for third parties? Although the moderate streak of the Indiana GOP appears to be over, which also seems to help the Libertarians. Part of that Libertarian vote in 2012 has to have been right-leaning voters who would never vote D but couldn't stand Mudouck.