1980: Carter vs. Kissinger (if he was eligible)

[Sir Mohamed]

Let's say the natural-born citizen clause was either repealed before or Kissinger was born in Germany to American parents (with the same biography), how would he have done in 1980 election as GOP nominee? Assuming he either manages to defeat Reagan or latter doesn't run for whatever reason.

Does Kissinger win against Carter in a 1 vs. 1 matchup? I doubt Anderson would have run as Kissinger was more moderate on domestic issues. What could hurt him though is his weird English accent. On the other hand, Carter was in for an uphill battle in 1980 against any challenger.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Conservative Republicans would have worked to ensure Carter's reelection.

[wnwnwn]

[Sir Mohamed]

Conservative Republicans would have worked to ensure Carter's reelection.

Was Kissinger that unpopular among GOP circles? I think he would have picked a conservative VP such as Paul Laxalt or Phil Crane.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Conservative Republicans would have worked to ensure Carter's reelection.

Was Kissinger that unpopular among GOP circles? I think he would have picked a conservative VP such as Paul Laxalt or Phil Crane.

Kissinger was very much a Rockefeller Republican.  A conservative running with Kissinger would have been considered a heretic to movement conservatism.

[Agonized-Statism]

President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) / Vice President Walter Mondale (D-MN) ✓
Fmr. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (R-CT) / Senator Howard Baker (R-TN)

To be fair, things were going bad for Carter. Kissinger would be smart enough to make conservatives happy with cabinet positions and policy positions, and they were more compromising back in the days of the three-legged stool anyway. I also don't think his heritage would be a problem. That said, his whatever-the-opposite-of-charisma-is would do him in, and the activist left would turn out stronger than ever against him. Tennessee and Kentucky here are because of Baker.