1980 Democratic victory

[LightningBearer]

Ok so jimmy carter does not win democratic nomination in 76 and it goes instead to another southern governor like Florida gov. Reubin Askew who picks Scoop Jackson as VP and then defeats Gerald Ford in the election by a similar margin. What would happen if the same ticket ran in 1980 without the Iran hostage crisis, no Kennedy challenge and a stronger government and approval ratings. Would this still result in a Reagan landslide or a much closer race?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Carter himself would beat Reagan without hostage crisis, challenge and better aproval

[President Mitt]

Kalwejt is correct, although the economy had weakened Carter, The Hostage Crisis had shown Americans that Carter is a "sissy", and Reagan was tough. If there was no Hostage Crisis, Carter might have won a narrow victory, or Reagan would win a narrow victory.

Carter: 271
Reagan: 267

[Mechaman]

Kalwejt is correct, although the economy had weakened Carter, The Hostage Crisis had shown Americans that Carter is a "sissy", and Reagan was tough. If there was no Hostage Crisis, Carter might have won a narrow victory, or Reagan would win a narrow victory.

Carter: 271
Reagan: 267

That and two other factors known as John Anderson and Edward Clark.

[rebeltarian]

Events aside, Jimmy Carter was in a tough position in 1980 on the electoral map.  Carter knew that he had little room for error and would have to hold almost everything he won in '76.  Against Reagan and Bush, he wasn't going to win Texas again, and California was also moving Republican, which pretty much locked him out of the west.  In the east, Florida was also leaning Republican, while history said Ohio and Michigan were probably going to flip.  He badly needed Michigan to compensate the loss of Texas, but had little else where he could eat into the Ford states, while some of his key states were going into play for Reagan/Bush.  The map above looks pretty accurate, except I would give PA to Carter and FL to Reagan.  

[Bo]

The Democratic ticket would narrowly win.