1976 with a reverse Democratic ticket

[President Johnson]

How do you see 1976 turning out with a reverse Democratic ticket? So Walter Mondale is the nominee for president and picks Jimmy Carter as his running mate. Does Mondale win against Ford?

[Alben Barkley]

Mondale might do a bit better than Carter in the Midwest, but not enough to make up for the massive losses in the South. Having Carter on the ticket would probably be enough to still carry Georgia, but not Florida or Texas among other Southern states. Even if Mondale flips Iowa and Illinois (he's still not beating Ford in Michigan) and holds everything else, that makes him lose.

The other thing is part of Carter's appeal was he was an "outsider" running against the Washington "establishment" post-Watergate, while Mondale was not an "outsider" and he didn't have much charisma or unique/novel appeal like Jimmy did. Ford's Rose Garden strategy painting himself as the trustworthy incumbent deserving of his own term, which nearly worked anyway, thus probably succeeds.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

Reubin Askew would be a better VP