Ford's approval ratings were respectable for most of 1976, 538 says it was slightly net positive actually and in the low to mid 40s. So while he was weighed down, he was never weighed down by enough to lose in a landslide. Carter's big polling leads were probably just one of those huge old convention bounces, and Ford was also being weighed down by his divisive primary earlier in the year. Ford ran a good campaign, but Carter wasn't exceptionally weak that year either-I'm guessing a liberal Northern Democrat would have lost.
Disagreed.
While
Playboy probably was the big even-outter, the year was a low turnout year. Methinks a liberal Dem would've received more votes overall thanks to fewer liberals staying home.
