AHC: Gerald Ford "Elected" as president, minus the power of encumbency

Hi all,

This is going to be tough, but perhaps just about doable. With a pod as late as possible, find a way of getting Gerald Ford elected US president without having him assume the presidency at any point during someone elses prier term.

In other words, he must become president in the "normal" way, winning an election to that office without already being the encumbent.

Any ideas?
 
Run a Retrospective Election Project? ;)

Seriously, though, Ford isn't a horribly unelectable candidate -- moderate without being an apostate, personable, fairly prominent (even if we haven't actually elected someone from the House since Garfield) -- my understanding is that hard part of this challenge is convincing Ford to run. Maybe he emerges as the choice of a deadlocked Republican convention?
 
The Challange says nothing against Ford as Vicepresident. So lets say, Watergate is butterflied away, but Agnew still retires and Nixon still appoint Ford as VP. He get the Nomination in 1976 and wins.
 
Humphrey wins in 1968, no McGovern-Fraser Commission. Humphrey beats Reagan in 1972, too close to Goldwater. The Republicans narrowly take the House in 1974. In 1976, a brokered GOP convention leads to Speaker Ford getting the nomination, and he wins.
 
Humphrey wins in 1968, no McGovern-Fraser Commission. Humphrey beats Reagan in 1972, too close to Goldwater. The Republicans narrowly take the House in 1974. In 1976, a brokered GOP convention leads to Speaker Ford getting the nomination, and he wins.

That would be a nicely dull timeline, I feel, if you get what I mean. No Nixon, no Reagan, no Carter. No Bubba either, I'd hope.
 
Humphrey wins in 1968, no McGovern-Fraser Commission. Humphrey beats Reagan in 1972, too close to Goldwater. The Republicans narrowly take the House in 1974. In 1976, a brokered GOP convention leads to Speaker Ford getting the nomination, and he wins.

McGovern-Fraser was going to happen after 1968 regardless of who was elected President. It was a promise made at the Democratic National Convention.
 
o OTL Ford had no Whitehouse ambitions until he lived there.He was thought of as a possible running mate in 1968. m Maybe after seven years as President Rockefeller's veep he decides torun for the top job.
 
McGovern-Fraser was going to happen after 1968 regardless of who was elected President. It was a promise made at the Democratic National Convention.
Lots of promises are made at conventions. The promise itself can be easily butterflies away. That that promise was made at that particular convention is particularly ironic.

I can see President Humphrey supporting such a thing though, which can be problematic. But it's fairly simple to butterfly this to only apply to the Democrats. The DNC just needs to change their own rules; no legislation required.
 
Lots of promises are made at conventions. The promise itself can be easily butterflies away. That that promise was made at that particular convention is particularly ironic.

It was really a series of unforced errors as HST says in F&L. If the heavyweight establishmentarians, particularly Big Labor, wake up to the implications than it can be stopped. Reform will probably come at some point, just later. Otherwise your scenario sounds good.

Edit: Team Humphrey could've blocked the original resolution but decided to wave it through as a unity gesture to the antiwarriors, per HST and Teddy White.
 
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