Absolutely. I think either without the "no Soviet domination" gaffe or if the campaign just went on for another week, Ford would have probably have won the election. At least enough electoral votes. Or if Ford just picked another running mate, either keeping Rocky on the ticket or going with Reagan (Rockefeller secures at least New York, Reagan may have delivered Texas and Florida).
Not sure you can really cite the polls, as they were often far less accurate than today. Ford was never going to lose by 33 points, obviously. Or take 1980, Reagan was still trailing 39-45% in an October survey.
No offense against Jimmy Carter as person, but really wish Ford would have won this election.
I think the Neoliberal consensus does get formed at some point anyway maybe beginning in 1992 instead.
I would say that depends on how successful the prez elected in 1980 is. Very likely that would have been a Dem, scoring an easy victory over VP Bob Dole. If he's successful and the economy on a good track, the New Deal era may have continued in one form or another. One of the main reasons people turned away from the New Deal consensus was the Stagflation of the 1970s, that were caused by other factors.
That said, I think the GOP's rightward shift was inevitable and another term of Ford as POTUS would have delayed that for a few more years at best.
