1984: Gerald Ford runs for a full term 2.0

[Sir Mohamed]

I found this a pretty fascinating scenario in conjunction with talks at the 1980 RNC about former prez Ford accepting the VP nomination under Reagan: Let's say said ticket would have happened, wins in a blowout just as IRL, and Reagan doesn't survive the assassination attempt 2 months into office. Ford would have been elevated to be prez for a 2nd time and as I understand it, he wouldn't be barred from seeking a full term in 1984 although he pretty much inherits Reagan's whole term here.

How do you see 1984 turn out? Does he face a GOP challenger again? If reelected, he would have been prez for more than 10 years (Aug '74 to Jan '77 and again from March '81 to Jan '89, assuming he serves out his own elected term).

[Adjective-Statement]

IIRC, the absolute most you can get in office is ten years- two elected four-year terms and two years of another president's term. Ford would be counted as serving two elected terms here if Reagan was assassinated less than halfway through his presidency and wouldn't be eligible to run in 1984. But if the rules change during that time, he pivots to the right and does well enough in '84.