Ford wins
- Thread starter Evil Opus
- Start date
Except that it was in 1968. You can't butterfly things that happen before your POD.
Burton K Wheeler
Moderator
The question is, how could Ford win? I can't imagine any Republican candidate winning in 1976, and Ford simply did not have the charisma or political skills to run a successful Presidential campaign, even without Nixon.
HelloLegend
Banned
I think Ford was popular in the first 3 weeks after Watergate. It wasn't until his pardon of Tricky Dick, that the unpopularity started.
The Eastern Europe comment in the debate gave people the impression he wasn't ready to be President. Because the moderator gave him a chance to correct his error. "Do you mean to say that..." (as in that wasn't just a slip of the tongue right?)
The Eastern Europe comment in the debate gave people the impression he wasn't ready to be President. Because the moderator gave him a chance to correct his error. "Do you mean to say that..." (as in that wasn't just a slip of the tongue right?)
His pardon of Nixon had little or no bearing on the 76 election, those who were not going to vote for him because of the pardon were not going to vote for him anyway.
HelloLegend
Banned
That is a fair speculation if you are saying eventually he would have been unpopular anyway regardless of the pardon. However, his approval ratings were very good his first 3 weeks. It is the pardon that triggered the bad feelings with the people. That was the beginning.
True those who weren't gonna vote for him, didn't.
But some of those who were gonna vote for him, didn't because of the pardon.
Was it enough to make the difference? That's up to poli science professors.
True those who weren't gonna vote for him, didn't.
But some of those who were gonna vote for him, didn't because of the pardon.
Was it enough to make the difference? That's up to poli science professors.
You might get Presidents from the same parties in the same years but Teddy wouldn't have run and Jerry Brown was considered a crackpot by this time.Try Mondale and Dukakis/or Clinton as in OTL
I haven't researched, but what if the second debate (October 7, 1976) in which the Eastern Europe gaffe was made, was postponed or did not happen? Ascribe it to a crisis which demanded too much attention to hold the debate that night. Ford avoids the brain cramp or makes a more appropriate comment, and perhaps sways two or three midwestern states his way.
I kind of feel that, if anything, Jerry Brown would be President from 1981-1989. Bob Dole seems to be fine for 1989-1993. From 1993-1997, I'll put Clinton. But, to make things interesting, lets say that (for whatever reason) that Jack Kemp runs against Clinton in the '96 election and beats him. Bill Bradley and Rudy Giuliani look good, though. So together it looks like this:
Gerald Ford(R): 1974-1981
Jerry Brown(D): 1981-1989
Bob Dole(R): 1989-1993
Bill Clinton(D): 1993-1997
Jack Kemp(R):1997-2001
Bill Bradley(D):2001-2005
Rudolph Guiliani(R): 2005-present
Readman - sorry for the lack of detail. Ford and Carter debated twice, with Ford acquitting himself well in the first. The second debate, on October 7, citing Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1976 ,
Interesting when one can talk about the background events for an AH line from firsthand experience - that was my first election as a registered voter.
During this debate, Ford stumbled when he stated, “There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.” He added that he did not “believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union.” Ford compounded his error by refusing to retract his statement for almost a week after the debate; conservatives who had been lukewarm to Ford's candidacy were particularly appalled. As a result of this blunder, Ford's surge stalled and Carter reopened his lead in the polls. On November 2, Carter narrowly won the election.
I'm not sure that Ford's avoiding this verbal stumble, in isolation, would have made the difference in the election; Watergate was still a huge issue and his pardon of Nixon, while reasonable from the standpoint of wasting no more of the government's time, took away the chance for a national catharsis.
Interesting when one can talk about the background events for an AH line from firsthand experience - that was my first election as a registered voter.
RKO General
Banned
Ignoring AmBombs BS i'll just say again that Ford could have won in '76
The Nixon pardon was mostly a healing gesture and partly a gesture to Nixonians who were far more important in the Pubbies primaries than in the general election.
The Nixon pardon was mostly a healing gesture and partly a gesture to Nixonians who were far more important in the Pubbies primaries than in the general election.
The Pardon
For years, I've been hearing and reading the observation that Ford's pardon of Nixon "cost" Ford the 1976 presidential election. If Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon, many say, he would have been more popular and would have beaten Carter in 1976.
But the people who say that never consider what would have happened if Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon.
Presumably, if Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon, Nixon would have been prosecuted and tried. Watergate would have stretched on for years, well into 1975 and 1976 and probably beyond. New allegations would have emerged about Nixon and his advisors. It seems likely to me that the Republican Party, and Ford himself, would have been hurt far more by a decision not to pardon Nixon.
The pardon might have caused some political problems for Ford, but it might have been the least-damaging option.
Disagree with me all you want, but concede this: the Ford-doesn't-pardon-Nixon scenario, and its repercussions, is never discussed.
For years, I've been hearing and reading the observation that Ford's pardon of Nixon "cost" Ford the 1976 presidential election. If Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon, many say, he would have been more popular and would have beaten Carter in 1976.
But the people who say that never consider what would have happened if Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon.
Presumably, if Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon, Nixon would have been prosecuted and tried. Watergate would have stretched on for years, well into 1975 and 1976 and probably beyond. New allegations would have emerged about Nixon and his advisors. It seems likely to me that the Republican Party, and Ford himself, would have been hurt far more by a decision not to pardon Nixon.
The pardon might have caused some political problems for Ford, but it might have been the least-damaging option.
Disagree with me all you want, but concede this: the Ford-doesn't-pardon-Nixon scenario, and its repercussions, is never discussed.