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

[Deano1001]

Ford winning in 1976 gives you a long 8 years of GOP rule. Ford couldn't of won for re-election in 1984 because he served over two years as President after the resignation of Nixon.
Dole wins the nomination in 80' with the party backing, over Reagan but Reagan may get the VP spot to get a charismatic Republican.
For the Dem's side, I don't know if Kennedy can get over the Chappaquiddick incident that's on his resume. There was a large "Draft Muskie campaign" that year so that may gain some traction. In the end I'm going to throw the nomination behind Gary Hart. Mondale's party establishment support was his down fall, but in this 80' there is no easy establishment candidate. This leads to no Hart affair as well.

1980: Gary Hart (D-CO)/ Ernest Hollings (D-SC) over Bob Dole (R-KS)/ Ronald Reagan (R-CA)
1984: Gary Hart (D-CO)/ Ernest Hollings (D-SC) over Ronald Reagan (R-CA)/ Paul Laxalt (R-NV)
1988: George H.W Bush (R-TX)/ Jack Kemp (R-NY) over Al Gore (D-TN)/ Douglas Wilder (D-VA)
1992: Mario Cuomo (D-NY)/ Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) over George H.W Bush (R-TX)/ Jack Kemp (R-NY)
1996: Mario Cuomo (D-NY)/ Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) over Jack Kemp (R-NY)/ Alan Keyes (R-MY)
2000: Bill Clinton (D-AR)/ John Kerry (D-MA) over George W. Bush (R-TX)/ Richard Cheney (R-WY)
2004: Bill Clinton (D-AR)/ John Kerry (D-MA) over John McCain (R-AZ)/ Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
2008: Mitt Romney (R-MA)/ Bobby Jindal (R-LA) over John Kerry (D-MA)/ Barrack Obama (D-IL)

Boom.

[Deano1001]

38. Gerald Ford: 1977-1981
39. Edward Kennedy: 1981-1985
40. Bob Dole: 1985-1993
41. Mario Cuomo: 1993-2001
42. Bill Clinton: 2001-2009
43. Jeb Bush: 2009- Present

Great minds think alike.

[Deano1001]

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.