What if Richard Nixon chose then House Minority Leader Gerald Ford to replace disgraced VP Spiro Agnew instead of choosing New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller? How would Ford do as President after Nixon would inevitably resign from office? Who would he pick to be his VP? As we know, Rockefeller started off as President popular and then he decided to pardon Richard Nixon, which along with the worsening economy, tanked his approval ratings. This unpopularity did not deter President Rockefeller from seeking election to his own term in 1976, in fact many say this motivated him to choose then Conservative California Governor Ronald Reagan to be his Vice President. With a rebounding economy and a unified Republican party, the Rockefeller/Reagan ticket would go on to narrowly defeat the Democratic ticket of Former Governor Jimmy Carter and Idaho Senator Frank Church. Unfortunately, President Rockefeller would die of a heart attack in July 1978, causing Vice President Reagan to ascend to the Presidency. Reagan and his Vice President Charles Percy would go on to be defeated in 1980 by Washington Senator Henry Jackson and his running mate Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Jackson would also die of a heart attack in mid January of 1983, with Bentsen ascending to the Presidency and going on to be the second longest serving President in history, serving from January 21st, 1983 to January 20th, 1993. So how do you think time would've played out if Ford had been selected as Nixon's 2nd VP?
 
What if Richard Nixon chose then House Minority Leader Gerald Ford to replace disgraced VP Spiro Agnew instead of choosing New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller? How would Ford do as President after Nixon would inevitably resign from office? Who would he pick to be his VP? As we know, Rockefeller started off as President popular and then he decided to pardon Richard Nixon, which along with the worsening economy, tanked his approval ratings. This unpopularity did not deter President Rockefeller from seeking election to his own term in 1976, in fact many say this motivated him to choose then Conservative California Governor Ronald Reagan to be his Vice President. With a rebounding economy and a unified Republican party, the Rockefeller/Reagan ticket would go on to narrowly defeat the Democratic ticket of Former Governor Jimmy Carter and Idaho Senator Frank Church. Unfortunately, President Rockefeller would die of a heart attack in July 1978, causing Vice President Reagan to ascend to the Presidency. Reagan and his Vice President Charles Percy would go on to be defeated in 1980 by Washington Senator Henry Jackson and his running mate Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Jackson would also die of a heart attack in mid January of 1983, with Bentsen ascending to the Presidency and going on to be the second longest serving President in history, serving from January 21st, 1983 to January 20th, 1993. So how do you think time would've played out if Ford had been selected as Nixon's 2nd VP?

I doubt that Ford, a man of sterling integrity, would've pardoned Nixon.
 
It was a surprise that Nixon picked Rockefeller when Ford had the respect of all the important House and Senate members across party lines.
By October 1973 when Agnes resigned, the feeling was that whomever Nixon picked for Vice President had a good chance to become President and let's face it Nixon had a continuous relationship with Rockefeller.
Nixon wanted to pick Democrat turned Republican Treasury Secretary John Connolly the former Governor of Texas but no one from either party trusted him and the other most mentioned possibility California Governor Reagan was considered too controversial to be picked.
The reason that Nixon did not picked Ford that even through he was an unwavering supporter of the President, Nixon thought that he was a lightweight.
 
Top