If Reagan primaried Ford out in 1976 and then lost to Carter, would Ford run again in 1980?

If Reagan defeated Ford for the 1976 Republican nomination but then lost the general election to Carter, would Ford run in the 1980 Republican primaries?
 
If Reagan defeated Ford for the 1976 Republican nomination but then lost the general election to Carter, would Ford run in the 1980 Republican primaries?

I seriously doubt it. If Ford wouldn't run again after narrowly losing to Carter, he would definitely sit out the race after losing his own party's nomination as a sitting President.
 
I seriously doubt it. If Ford wouldn't run again after narrowly losing to Carter, he would definitely sit out the race after losing his own party's nomination as a sitting President.

The reason--or at least part of it--that Ford didn't run in 1980 was that he realized the GOP had moved to the right and that he would only assure Reagan's nomination by splitting the moderate vote. If Reagan had lost to Carter in 1976, Ford might think (even if mistakenly) that the hour for moderate Republicanism had come again in 1980...
 
more likely would be ford successfully endorsing Dole or Bush(pre-reagan vp bush, so a social/economic moderate and if not outright prochoice like his mentor connally, at least too episcopalian to care) rep wins in 1980.
 
The reason--or at least part of it--that Ford didn't run in 1980 was that he realized the GOP had moved to the right and that he would only assure Reagan's nomination by splitting the moderate vote. If Reagan had lost to Carter in 1976, Ford might think (even if mistakenly) that the hour for moderate Republicanism had come again in 1980...

Even then, he is more likely to endorse Bush than run himself.
 
Even then, he is more likely to endorse Bush than run himself.

I don't think it's unlikely Ford would run. It's easy to mistake Bush's prominence. He was something of a party mandarin, so known to players in DC. But his national name recognition was close to zilch, and his own family thought his presidential run was a massive longshot. Bush was really the beneficiary of Ford, as well as other prominent GOP moderates, not running. He wound up sort of by default as the main alternative to Reagan. (Which as late as fall 1979 many thought would be Ford -- he was treated as sort of the co-frontrunner along with Reagan by the media and was Carter v. Reagan and Carter v. Ford were typically the main polled contests.)

But in an environment where Reagan is out of the picture, I'm not sure that's still the case. Ford might well run in this scenario, though of course it would depend on whether his OTL post-presidential popularity remained in this timeline. A lot would depend too on how badly he was defeated in the 1976, and whether people felt like he'd have won.
 
I wrote a Timeline on this less than 6 months after I became a member of this site. I think it's very plausible that Ford does as he did consider it and I doubt the GOP would back Reagan again if he were to lose to Carter in 76, especially if the loss is decisive. Ford could say he left the Country better off than he found it, unlike Carter (though I don't blame Carter for this entirely), and he could make the argument (or at least try to) that Reagan lost because he was too Conservative.
 
I wrote a Timeline on this less than 6 months after I became a member of this site. I think it's very plausible that Ford does as he did consider it and I doubt the GOP would back Reagan again if he were to lose to Carter in 76, especially if the loss is decisive. Ford could say he left the Country better off than he found it, unlike Carter (though I don't blame Carter for this entirely), and he could make the argument (or at least try to) that Reagan lost because he was too Conservative.

Maybe. Then again Republican leaders could blame Ford for Reagan's nomination and therefore Carter's victory. And remember that had Ford lost the nomination in 1976, he'd have been the first President to be rejected by his party since Arthur in 1884. That's a pretty bad record, on top of the worst economy at that point since the Great Depression, the Nixon pardon, "Drop Dead" New York, the fall of Saigon, etc. All of which both Republicans and Democrats can attack will vigor. If Ford tries again in 1980 he would most likely lose the nomination. But given how strong a race he ran against Carter in 1976, and how widely unpopular Carter was four years later, he could beat Carter in 1980.
 
Maybe. Then again Republican leaders could blame Ford for Reagan's nomination and therefore Carter's victory. And remember that had Ford lost the nomination in 1976, he'd have been the first President to be rejected by his party since Arthur in 1884. That's a pretty bad record, on top of the worst economy at that point since the Great Depression, the Nixon pardon, "Drop Dead" New York, the fall of Saigon, etc. All of which both Republicans and Democrats can attack will vigor. If Ford tries again in 1980 he would most likely lose the nomination. But given how strong a race he ran against Carter in 1976, and how widely unpopular Carter was four years later, he could beat Carter in 1980.
Ford was also an unelected President that was thrust into the Presidency at a difficult time both economically and with regards to trust in Government and still managed to leave things better than he found them. I think IITL and probably even in OTL, the Ford Presidency would look damn good compared to Carter's by enough of the public and enough Republicans. I doubt Bush or Baker would run if Ford were to throw his hat in the ring so that clears the field and if Bob Dole does (I think Dole could try to challenge Ford from the right as he wouldn't be running mate ITTL and I doubt Reagan runs again) Ford would easily beat him.
 
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