What if Ford is elected in 1976 (as he should have been)....

[Jerseyrules]

Fan scenario:

Ford (1974-1981)
Kennedy (1981-1985) - sex scandals unearthed
Paul Laxalt or John Tower (1985-1993)
Ed Koch (1993-2001) (defeats Cuomo in 82 gubernatorial primary)
Ann Richards (2001-2005)
Rudy Giuliani (2005-2013)
John E. Bush (2013-present)

[Jerseyrules]

Ford winning in 1976 gives you a long 8 years of GOP rule.

To be fair, 12 years if you count Nixon (I don't )

[Jerseyrules]

I think Reagan might have run in 1984, but skip 1980. 1984 would be absolutely the last chance for Reagan to run for a first term as President though.

It might have looked like the following:

Gerald Ford (1974-1981)
Jimmy Carter (1981-1985)
Ronald Reagan (1985-1993)
Mario Cuomo (1993-2001)
Bill Clinton (2001-2005)
Rudy Giuliani (2005-2013)

This is very likely, though I only see Reagan serving one term under this scenario.

That might be. Bush could still be the vice president too possibly.

Connally?

[Jerseyrules]

Meh, I don't know how an already-ran candidate would be accepted by the Dem's that year. I'll agree that he could run, but I doubt he can win.

Yes, Carter in 1980 would have him running 6 years after leaving the Georgia statehouse.  Hard to envision him getting the nomination when out of office so long.

I like Carter personally, and think he'd be okay as a peacetime President, but was too nice to be POTUS when he was.  His ideal time period is 1990s, as a New Democrat; as a libertarian Republican, I don't buy into the whole "far-left lunatic Carter" B.S., although I do believe he was a weak and ineffectual president during his time in office.