1980: Gerald Ford vs. Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan

[White Trash]

Former President Gerald Ford wins the Republican nomination against ultraconservative challenger Ronald Reagan. Reagan disputes the results of the convention and mounts a third party campaign. Discuss with maps.

[Sir Mohamed]

Assuming Reagan gets ballot access in all states: With the anti-Carter votes split, the president wins a second term.

✓ President Jimmy Carter (D-GA)/Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN): 321 EV. (42.0%)
Former President Gerald Ford (R-MI)/Representative Jack Kemp (R-NY): 137 EV. (35.8%)
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (I-CA)/Senator Paul Laxalt (I-NV): 80 EV. (21.4%)

[White Trash]

Assuming Reagan gets ballot access in all states: With the anti-Carter votes split, the president wins a second term.

✓ President Jimmy Carter (D-GA)/Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN): 321 EV. (42.0%)
Former President Gerald Ford (R-MI)/Representative Jack Kemp (R-NY): 137 EV. (35.8%)
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (I-CA)/Senator Paul Laxalt (I-NV): 80 EV. (21.4%)

I think California and Arizona would be much closer.

[Sir Mohamed]

Assuming Reagan gets ballot access in all states: With the anti-Carter votes split, the president wins a second term.

✓ President Jimmy Carter (D-GA)/Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN): 321 EV. (42.0%)
Former President Gerald Ford (R-MI)/Representative Jack Kemp (R-NY): 137 EV. (35.8%)
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (I-CA)/Senator Paul Laxalt (I-NV): 80 EV. (21.4%)

I think California and Arizona would be much closer.

California would be 40% Carter, 35% Reagan and 25% Ford.

[White Trash]

Assuming Reagan gets ballot access in all states: With the anti-Carter votes split, the president wins a second term.

✓ President Jimmy Carter (D-GA)/Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN): 321 EV. (42.0%)
Former President Gerald Ford (R-MI)/Representative Jack Kemp (R-NY): 137 EV. (35.8%)
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (I-CA)/Senator Paul Laxalt (I-NV): 80 EV. (21.4%)

I think California and Arizona would be much closer.

California would be 40% Carter, 35% Reagan and 25% Ford.

That seems fair enough.

[President Johnson]

I think Ford would have won such a contest. Carter is too unpopular and the Gipper loses the moderate Republican electorate to Ford. The former president also picks up a lot of Democratic voters, who are dissatisfied with the Carter Administration but think that Reagan is too far to the right.

Former President Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)/Former Governor John B. Conally (R-TX): 308 EV. (45.03%)
President James E. Carter (D-GA)/Vice President Walter F. Mondale (D-MN): 190 EV. (37.25%)
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (I-CA)/Congressman Phil Crane (I-IL): 40 EV. (17.54%)

[Mr. Smith]

Carter/Mondale
Ford/Kemp
Reagan/Bush

[Dancing with Myself]

This was my go in President Elect 1988 on DOS:

Carter/Mondale- 314 EV's.  32,803,942  40.00%

Ford/Bush- 224 EV's.  32,920,422  40.15%

Reagan/Laxalt- 0 EV's.  16,267,668  19.84%



Pretty heartbreaking sim for everyone involved. Carter who was extremely unpopular won a moderate victory in the EC but lost the popular vote.  Ford who stayed away from debates and gaffe's lost 2 big states which could have won it for him due to an ideological rival who runs to spite his party. Reagan however ran a smart campaign and out-debated Carter easily. Reagan however never could get over 20%.

Ford at first lost Michigan but later on it twisted around.

[Kingpoleon]

325: Ford/Hatfield(46.8%)
175: Carter/Kennedy(40.4%)
38: Reagan/Yorty(12.3%)
Others: 0.5%

Reagan and Yorty receive endorsements from Strom Thurmond, Harry Byrd, quite a few other Deep South Dixiecrats, John Ashbroom, and Ezra Taft Benson. Ford, however, unites the usual party, libertarians, Scoop Jackson Democrats, moderates, and liberal Republicans alike. Howard Baker receives the keynote, while Lowell Weicker and Robert Dole get prime time speeches.