Gerald Ford in ‘76

Bomster

Banned
IOTL, President Gerald Ford came very close to winning the election in 1976. Despite being associated with Richard Nixon and Watergate Ford had a strong showing in the election. What if the election had gone another way? Say that Ford doesn’t make that gaffe about Eastern Europe in the debates and narrowly defeats Carter in the general. What would his presidency look like? How would he handle the events turbulent late 70’s that plagued Carter? Who would win the election in 1980?
 
I remember on the Agronsky program, just after the '76 elections, Carl Rowan said that if "McCarthy had not been on the ballot in NY, Ford would still be the president."
But to answer the question, there might've been less inflation in the late seventies, if Ford held down spending.
 
I believe Ford would continue to hold a strong military presence in Middle East, deterring the Soviet Union from invading Afghanistan and either deterring or effectively defended the US embassy in Iran.

Because Ford served more than half of Nixon’s term, he is ineligible to stand in 1980.

Republicans
Vice President Bob Dole will be favourite.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Former Governor Ronald Reagan
CIA Director George H W Bush

Democrats
Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. Senator from Texas
Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts

You may see a California based election with governor Jerry Brown going against former governor, Ronald Reagan.
 
. . . deterring the Soviet Union from invading Afghanistan . . .


Per the below, the Soviets got played on Afghanistan and escalated when they didn't need to.

http://www.counterpunch.org/1998/01/15/how-jimmy-carter-and-i-started-the-mujahideen/
.
Brzezinski: Yes. According to the official version of history, CIA aid to the Mujahadeen began during 1980, that is to say, after the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan, 24 Dec 1979. But the reality, secretly guarded until now, is completely otherwise: Indeed, it was July 3, 1979 that President Carter signed the first directive for secret aid . . .
This was "normal" for the cold war. Wish it had been otherwise. Heck, wish the cold war had mainly been contested on who could have better provided genuine economic development for third world countries, but it was not.

* please note that older persons sometimes re-tell stories so that their role or what they know is more important.
 
Last edited:
Per the below, the Soviets got played on Afghanistan and escalated when they didn't need to.

This was "normal" for the cold war. Wish it had been otherwise. Heck, wish the cold war had mainly been contested on who could have better provided genuine economic development for third world countries, but it was not.

* please note that older persons sometimes re-tell stories so that they role or what they know is more important.
So it was the fault of the American's that the Soviets invaded, similar to the Cuba missile crisis.
 
So it was the fault of the American's . . .
Nope, I'm not saying that. The "normal" course of the cold war was that the U.S. propped up dictatorships and the USSR funded rebel armies, although sometimes these two roles were reversed as in Afghanistan.

The Soviets screwed up.

It's like they escalated from (?) level 20 to level 100! In fact, it would be an interesting ATL to write in which Brezhnev doesn't over-react but instead plays a much better hand of cards. (this separate from the idealistic timeline in which both superpowers are good guys building up the third world and competing for allegiance for their very different economic systems, with a number of third world countries skillfully playing both sides against the middle!)
 
From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War

Robert M. Gates, Simon & Schuster, 1996.

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...nding to help the Mujahedin covertly"&f=false

' . . . The meeting was finally held on July 3, 1979, and—almost six months before the Soviets invaded Afghanistan—Jimmy Carter signed the first finding to help the Mujahedin covertly. . . . . began relatively small. . . . . half a million dollars was allocated, with almost all being drawn within six weeks. . . '

' . . . By the end of August [1979], Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq was pressuring the United States for arms and equipment for the insurgents in Afghanistan. . . '
So, yes, we caused problems for the Soviets in Afghanistan, just like they caused us problems in a number of parts of the world. That was a big way the cold war was fought.

And notice our role in Afghanistan started with a small amount of money.
 
Last edited:
I believe Ford would continue to hold a strong military presence in Middle East, deterring the Soviet Union from invading Afghanistan and either deterring or effectively defended the US embassy in Iran.

Because Ford served more than half of Nixon’s term, he is ineligible to stand in 1980.

Republicans
Vice President Bob Dole will be favourite.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Former Governor Ronald Reagan
CIA Director George H W Bush

Democrats
Lloyd Bentsen, U.S. Senator from Texas
Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts

You may see a California based election with governor Jerry Brown going against former governor, Ronald Reagan.
I wonder if Rumsfeld being Secretary of Defense for an additional full term would lead to him being respected.
 
I wonder if Rumsfeld being Secretary of Defense for an additional full term would lead to him being respected.
This is what I thought.

Seeing a Illinois Representative, who rose through the ranks and is now as the 13th and youngest United States Secretary of Defense, defending the United States and her allies against the aggressive Soviet Union.

Ford-rumsfeld.jpg

It would be interesting to see him run in 1980.
 

Bomster

Banned
This is what I thought.

Seeing a Illinois Representative, who rose through the ranks and is now as the 13th and youngest United States Secretary of Defense, defending the United States and her allies against the aggressive Soviet Union.

Ford-rumsfeld.jpg

It would be interesting to see him run in 1980.
R U M S F E L D I A
 
I think that Ford, like Carter, would allow the Shah into the US for cancer treatment he'd probably be saddled with the Iran Hostage Crisis. It took Carter 444 days to negotiate a release for the hostages, perhaps Ford might do better thanks to his international clout from the 74-77 period but at the same time he could do just as bad if not worse given how incompetent he himself was. (1976 definitely set a new low for presidential contests, both candidates were inept mediocrities). I could see Ford being compared to Truman: after winning a major upset, both men would go onto have tumultuous second terms and leave office deeply unpopular. The 1980's are certainly guaranteed to be Democratic years, while the 1990's belong to the Republicans.
 
Top