1976 Presidential Election

[Senator Spiral]

After a few ballots, the WP united around former North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford for the nomination by a decisive margin, trumping 1972 VP nominee Scoop Jackson in the process. Sanford would pick Senator John Tunney as his running mate. The DA had more difficulty nominating their candidate with it being a three-way race between George McGovern, Birch Bayh, and Mo Udall. Udall, consistently in third place and not sensing outright victory, became the kingmaker at the convention. After a series of fervent discussions between the campaigns, an agreement was eventually reached: Udall would drop out and endorse Bayh for the nomination, and Bayh would select Udall as his running mate in return. The Bayh/Udall team rode to victory over McGovern and his supporters, leaving the convention with a more united party than when it first began.

Now heading into the general election, President Taft starts out as the favorite but is still possibly vulnerable due to the sluggish economy. Taft is touting his foreign policy accomplishments--namely, relaxing tensions with the USSR and forming diplomatic relations with China--as "leaving America stronger and the world a safer place," and he is also promising to turn the economy around by the end of a second term. Bayh is running a campaign on standard progressive issues, also focusing on women's rights more than any other candidate in recent memory. Bayh hopes to revive enthusiasm in his party after a disastrous performance in 1972. Sanford has focused on civil rights and education in his career and continues to have those be main points in his campaign. In addition, Sanford has been attacking Taft for "not doing more to protect workers," trying to position himself as the candidate strongest on economic issues.

[Senator Spiral]

Taft wins reelection, and with the exact same popular vote share as last time. 45% of the nation sure is committed to him.