Vice President Ford... again

WI Ford had been less demanding in '80 and Reagan had picked him as his running mate? Let's assume the Republicans still won.

Assuming the foiled assassination attempt on Reagan went exactly as it did in OTL, the Reagan administrations would have proceeded with very little change. Inflation was under control in 1984, so he would have easily been re-elected. The big change comes in 1988. Ford was only two years younger than Reagan and probably would not have run for election in 1988 at the age of 75. With no heir apparent, both sides of the election would have been wide open.
 
The big change comes in 1988. Ford was only two years younger than Reagan and probably would not have run for election in 1988 at the age of 75. With no heir apparent, both sides of the election would have been wide open.

It's likely that Bush won't get the Republican nomination; the Reagan wing of the party merely tolerated him during his vice presidency and the GOP nomination was contested in '88 even in OTL. Had he not already spent 8 years in the White House, their opposition and his complete lack of the Reagan-Clinton charisma would have eroded Bush's support among Republican voters. Same goes for any other moderate Republican.

Jack Kemp could be the front-runner. Donald Rumsfeld could get interesting (and I say it with dread). Kemp might manage to oversee the end of the Cold War competently - after all, even Reagan eventually got along with Gorbachev - but I don't even want to imagine what Rumsfeld would do with it.
 
Reagan's charisma was a breath of fresh air after four administrations showed how lackluster the presidency can get, among both parties. Bush got in as the Reagan clone, an image he could not maintain. Could Kemp fill that role?

And what about the Democrats? Would Dukakis be the front runner, or would John Glenn try again?
 
I think seeing VP Ford Part Deux would be kinda interesting as with butterflies of having Reagan pick him could branch of into two distinct possiblities.

1. Reagan is assasinated by Hinckley: In this scenario, Gerald Ford would have been sworn in as the 41st President of The United states early on in March of 1981. I really don't Ford embracing supply side economics as much as Reagan did, but he will probably keep Reagan's cabinet which well make things alot easier. An interesting not, however is who Ford chooses as his Vice President...Does he go with Dole again? Or possibly brings back John Connally and any Silent Generation Governor/Senator from the Conservative wing of the party? Because I don't think technically due to the 25th Amendment that he can run in 1984 but I could be mistaken.

2. Reagan survives the assasination attempt as in OTL: Things go roughly the same as in OTL through Reagan's two terms. However by the time the 1988 Election rolls around that's when things start to get interesting. I can easily see Kemp, Bush, Robertson and Dole fighting over the nomination, really it's who can best convince the American Public that they would be running for Reagan's second term...My bet would have to be Kemp
 
I'm pretty sure that had Ford been picked as Reagan's VP, and had the assassination attempt been successfull, he would NOT be able to run in 1984 due to the 25th Amendment have served the majority of 2 terms (the remainder of Nixons' term which was over half, and pretty much all of OTL Reagan's term).
 
Hm. A former Vice-president turned president turned vice-president again with the ability to become president again.
Poor Ford.
 
WI Ford had been less demanding in '80 and Reagan had picked him as his running mate? Let's assume the Republicans still won.

Ford made the demands he did because (A) he knew that he knew too much to be your run of the mill VP, and (B) he felt that being Reagan's VP would be bad for them both personally and for the nation. GRF only entertained the idea because he was a dutiful public servant and loyal Republican who had been asked by his party's standard bearer, and potentially the next POTUS, to consider serving his party and country once more.

I'm pretty sure that had Ford been picked as Reagan's VP, and had the assassination attempt been successfull, he would NOT be able to run in 1984 due to the 25th Amendment have served the majority of 2 terms (the remainder of Nixons' term which was over half, and pretty much all of OTL Reagan's term).

Correct, and even if persons within the party tried to convince him otherwise, he would have said something like "I am inelegible and I will not run."
 
WI Ford had been less demanding in '80 and Reagan had picked him as his running mate? Let's assume the Republicans still won.

Well here's another possibility no one has considered: What if Ford had been less demanding in 80 and Reagan will still picks Bush as VP but offers Ford the position of Secretary of State instead. Assuming Ford accepts would he be easily confirmed by the Senate? How would he handle the assassination attempt on Reagan? Would he have the gall to say like Haig that he's "in charge"? And how woukl foreign policy be shaped with Ford as Secretary of State during the Reagan Administration?
 
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