insect
Banned
Posts: 380 
Likes: 71
|
Post by insect on Apr 29, 2018 14:15:37 GMT
What if Ford refused to run for a term of his own. Would it be Reagan vs. Carter four years earlier?
|
|
James G
Squadron vice admiral
Posts: 7,608
Likes: 8,799
|
Post by James G on Apr 29, 2018 14:37:15 GMT
If it wasn't Reagan for the Republicans, it could have been Baker or Dole.
Ford not running also might have a knock-on effect with the Democrats too leading to someone else other than Carter.
|
|
kyng
Consul General
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 837
|
Post by kyng on May 16, 2018 21:15:47 GMT
My guess is that Reagan wins the GOP primary. He nearly did it in OTL even with an incumbent president on the ballot; without one, I think he'd be unstoppable. With his outsider status in the wake of Watergate (as well as, perhaps, vote-splitting among several more moderate establishment-y types), I'm guessing he cruises to the nomination.
Who does he pick as his running mate? I'm guessing it wouldn't be northern liberal senator Richard Schweiker: Reagan only picked him in OTL in 1976 in a failed attempt to win more moderate delegates at the convention, but that obviously wouldn't be a concern here.
Whoever it is, my guess is that Carter still wins in 1976: he'd successfully paint Reagan as too extreme (which he couldn't do in 1980, when Carter's failure as president had left people more willing to take a chance on a perceived extremist). But, does Reagan run again in 1980 and win?
|
|
mcnutt
Chief petty officer
Posts: 162
Likes: 7
|
Post by mcnutt on May 18, 2018 14:27:24 GMT
Reagan wins the nomination. He almost did running against an incumbent President.He loses the general election. He is of the President's party in bad economic times. Carter, who likely still wins the Democratic nomination, can also use Reagan's unpopular views like his opposition to Medicare.
|
|
