1976: Ford/Reagan vs. Carter/Mondale (Map?)

[DevotedDemocrat]

Say in 1976 President Ford decided to pick Reagan to be his VP candidate, given how the latter almost beat him in the primaries, to appease the conservative wing of the GOP, would the election against Carter/Mondale have gone any differently? How would the map have looked?

[Blackacre]

And, if Carter DID win, what would that mean about Reagan 4 years later?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Probably a Ford victory. Reagan does better in the VP debate and helps in the South, Ford's weakest area.

[Person Man]

Maybe if Ford won, it would have established the GOP as  a big tent party that had a  moderate on the top and a right-winger at the bottom. So, the angst for a more conservative GOP establishment might have been a lot weaker if the late 70s turned out as badly as they did, Ford would probably not run and Reagan would have the albatross of an unsuccesful administration hanging over him. A better Democratic ticket  against a weakened Reagan could have swung the 1980 election from a 10 point GOP victory to perhaps 3 or 4 point GOP loss. So, maybe the rise of conservativism was inevitable but maybe this would of weakened the conservative message and even allow for the reestablishment of liberalism.