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What is this?
According to Merriam-Webster, "the person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought or that has just been mentioned"
No, I mean what is this timeline?
The premise is that Gerald Ford wins in 1976.
That's been done a thousand times before.
Yes, but the end result will be nothing like any other Ford winning timeline.
Why should we trust Oppo to make a good timeline?
You shouldn't; have you seen my writing?
Can we start this now?
Sure.


The Election of 1976
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The 1976 primaries would produce two surprises. The Democrats had nominated Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, the face of the "New South". Carter had practically no name recognition compared to Scoop Jackson, George Wallace, and Frank Church. When Carter appeared on the game show What's My Line, none of the panelists could recognize him after several rounds of question and answer. President Ford, who had entered office following Spiro Agnew's resignation and the Watergate scandal had never received a single vote as President or Vice President. California Governor Ronald Reagan nearly defeated the President with a few uncommitted delegates and Reagan's choice of Richard Schweiker as his running mate. Ford, throwing an olive branch to the conservative wing, chose Kansas Senator Bob Dole as his running mate, while Carter chose Walter Mondale, a protege of Hubert Humphrey.

Ford was far behind, with polling showing the President down thirty-three points. Ford's campaign manager, Dick Cheney proposed a "Rose Garden" strategy. Ford would show the American public he was a leader that could bring the nation forward after the "long national nightmare" of Watergate. Ford was shown having dinner with Queen Elizabeth, and at the Bicentennial fireworks celebration. Carter's image as a man with integrity was significantly hurt when Playboy published an interview with Carter was a bit too honest, saying he had lusted in his heart for other women. Carter's poll numbers plummeted, and his campaign failed at damage control, digging him deeper into the sand. Carter was still leading, and the first presidential debates in sixteen years were about to happen. Ford won the debates, despite a gaffe on Soviet intervention in Eastern Europe. The race was one of the closest in history, too close in fact. When Gerald Ford looked out the window the next day, he almost wished he had lost re-election.
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Gerald Ford had joined John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison in losing the popular vote, but winning the electoral vote. Mass protests brewed all over the nation. People were fed up with their government. Many Democrats had blamed Eugene McCarthy, who they believed acted as a spoiler to Carter, while others claimed Carter was too moderate, and that Birch Bayh or Mo Udall would have won. President Ford had the lowest post-election approval rating since Gallup started recording. He knew this would be a very rough four years.

Table of Contents

1. The Election of 1976
2. 1976 Down-Ballot Races
3. The Ford Administration
4. 1980 Early Primaries
5. 1980 Democratic Primaries Pt. II
6. 1980 Republican Primaries Pt. II
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