1980 Without Reagan?

Election daywas the one year aniversary of the hostage crisis. Add that to the bad economy. Carter loses for sure. What changes? Centerists have more power in the Republican Party and Bush and Kissinger are much more engaged with the Soviets
 
Bush would never pick Kissinger as SOS- the two had bad blood dating back to Bush's time at the UN. Not happening. Plus Bush will run foreign policy from the WH as Nixon did, whoever's at Foggy Bottom is merely an administrator.
 
Bush would never pick Kissinger as SOS- the two had bad blood dating back to Bush's time at the UN. Not happening. Plus Bush will run foreign policy from the WH as Nixon did, whoever's at Foggy Bottom is merely an administrator.

Not only this, but he'll be a much effective President on foreign policy. That's all the Bushes ever cared about, it seems. But HW had one helluva foreign policy, and this is coming from an internationalist dove.
 
Bush

I think that Bush would have won. Carter did himself in. The misery index speech from the '76 campaign would certainly not help nor would his talk about the rabbit attacking him in the boat.
 
Why Laxtal?

Laxalt was more from the Reagan/Goldwater wing of the party. This would have shored up Bush in the West, while the man himself can be himself and clean up in the East. In this 1980 Carter is toast, but may do better in Dixie than he did that yeat in our timeline.
 
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