1976: Senator Walter Mondale (D) vs. President Gerald Ford (R)

[Robespierre's Jaw]

How would the 1976 Presidential Election turn out if these were the tickets?

Democratic

President: Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota
Vice President: Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas

Republican

President: President Gerald Ford of Michigan
Vice President: Senator Bob Dole of Kansas

How would this election turn out? Discuss with maps.

[Lincoln Republican]

Northern old line tax and spend ultra liberal Mondale would be manna from Heaven for the Republicans.

Mondale is the dream Democratic candidate for any Republican to run against.

Even Gerald Ford would stampede to victory over this leftist idealist.

At the Presidential level, Mondale has loser written all over him. 

Ford/Dole                    401
Mondale/Bentsen        137

[gorkay]

No, I'm afraid not. Your opinion of Mondale is skewed by his 1984 run, as is your characterization of him (he was never an "ultra liberal" nor by any stretch of the imagination a "leftist"). Besides which, the electorate was much less conservative in 1976, and Ford's popularity was pretty low. In fact, I think Mondale may well have won in 1976 (he thought about running for the nomination that year, incidentally, but decided against it before any of the primaries started); '76 was a very favorable year for the Democrats. They had made big gains in Congress in '74, and I've always thought that just about any Democratic candidate would have won that year, most of them by a larger margin than Carter did.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

[Robespierre's Jaw]

No, I'm afraid not. Your opinion of Mondale is skewed by his 1984 run, as is your characterization of him (he was never an "ultra liberal" nor by any stretch of the imagination a "leftist"). Besides which, the electorate was much less conservative in 1976, and Ford's popularity was pretty low. In fact, I think Mondale may well have won in 1976 (he thought about running for the nomination that year, incidentally, but decided against it before any of the primaries started); '76 was a very favorable year for the Democrats. They had made big gains in Congress in '74, and I've always thought that just about any Democratic candidate would have won that year, most of them by a larger margin than Carter did.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Senator Walter Mondale/Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D): 278 Electoral Votes

President Gerald Ford/Senator Bob Dole (R): 260 Electoral Votes

[Lincoln Republican]

No, I'm afraid not. Your opinion of Mondale is skewed by his 1984 run, as is your characterization of him (he was never an "ultra liberal" nor by any stretch of the imagination a "leftist"). Besides which, the electorate was much less conservative in 1976, and Ford's popularity was pretty low. In fact, I think Mondale may well have won in 1976 (he thought about running for the nomination that year, incidentally, but decided against it before any of the primaries started); '76 was a very favorable year for the Democrats. They had made big gains in Congress in '74, and I've always thought that just about any Democratic candidate would have won that year, most of them by a larger margin than Carter did.

Sorry to have to correct you, but there is no doubt that Mondale was an old line tax and spend liberal, even going so far in his 1984 acceptance speech at the Democratic National Conventiion to state that he would raise taxes if necessary.

Mondale was a well known member of the liberal establishment during his two terms in the Senate,  long before his well deserved 1984 drubbing by Reagan.  Mondale was an avid proponent of the theory that government power and spending could correct social inequalities.

Mondale also showed his complete inadequacy for national office with the first major decision he had to make as a national candidate, his selection of Geraldine Farraro, a complete token candidate, for Vice President.

 

[HardRCafé]

Carter was buoyed by the quaint notion he would be especially ethical.  That and Poland cost Ford a close election.  Mondale would have had a struggle straight uphill.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Ford?  Lose New Jersey to Walter Mondale in 1976?

Nuh uh.

[Lincoln Republican]

No, I'm afraid not. Your opinion of Mondale is skewed by his 1984 run, as is your characterization of him (he was never an "ultra liberal" nor by any stretch of the imagination a "leftist"). Besides which, the electorate was much less conservative in 1976, and Ford's popularity was pretty low. In fact, I think Mondale may well have won in 1976 (he thought about running for the nomination that year, incidentally, but decided against it before any of the primaries started); '76 was a very favorable year for the Democrats. They had made big gains in Congress in '74, and I've always thought that just about any Democratic candidate would have won that year, most of them by a larger margin than Carter did.

Sorry to have to correct you, but there is no doubt that Mondale was an old line tax and spend liberal, even going so far in his 1984 acceptance speech at the Democratic National Conventiion to state that he would raise taxes if necessary.

Mondale was a well known member of the liberal establishment during his two terms in the Senate,  long before his well deserved 1984 drubbing by Reagan.  Mondale was an avid proponent of the theory that government power and spending could correct social inequalities.

Mondale also showed his complete inadequacy for national office with the first major decision he had to make as a national candidate, his selection of Geraldine Farraro, a complete token candidate, for Vice President.

 

Add on to this that Mondale could put audiences to sleep with his droning, monotone, speaking style.

No, Mondale does not win a Presidential election, not even against the bumbling Ford.

And as for the Vice Presidential nominees, the folksy and hard hitting Dole could easily hold his own, and indeed surpass, the performance of the rather patrician and aloof Bentsen.

[defe07]

I could be wrong but I personally think that if the ticket were Bentsen/Mondale, then the Democrats would've won in this scenario. I think the Democrats suffer a case of pre-Dukakis syndrome since Bentsen would've been a much better Pres candidate than Mondale.