Vice President George Bush in 1974

When Gerald Ford came into office after the fall of Richard Nixon, one of his first decisions to make was who would be his Vice President. In the end, his top two choices were George Bush and Nelson Rockefeller. In OTL, he chose Rockefeller, but what if he decided to go with Bush, or Rockefeller chose not to become VP and Bush was the fallback? Would Bush have been conservative enough to appease Reagan and Goldwater, letting him remain on the 1976 Republican ticket? Could Bush's presence on the ticket helped swing a close election to the Republicans, letting him keep serving as Vice President until 1981? Whether or not he was current or former VP in 1980, could his elevated stature allow him to beat Ronald Reagan and have a shot at the presidency? In the instance where Ford did win reelection in 1976, I would imagine that the Republicans would begin to suffer from voter fatigue and various other issues. If Reagan beat sitting VP Bush in 1980, but then lost against the Democratic challenger, could Bush have come back and won the nomination in 1984?
 
When Gerald Ford came into office after the fall of Richard Nixon, one of his first decisions to make was who would be his Vice President. In the end, his top two choices were George Bush and Nelson Rockefeller. In OTL, he chose Rockefeller, but what if he decided to go with Bush, or Rockefeller chose not to become VP and Bush was the fallback? Would Bush have been conservative enough to appease Reagan and Goldwater, letting him remain on the 1976 Republican ticket? Could Bush's presence on the ticket helped swing a close election to the Republicans, letting him keep serving as Vice President until 1981? Whether or not he was current or former VP in 1980, could his elevated stature allow him to beat Ronald Reagan and have a shot at the presidency? In the instance where Ford did win reelection in 1976, I would imagine that the Republicans would begin to suffer from voter fatigue and various other issues. If Reagan beat sitting VP Bush in 1980, but then lost against the Democratic challenger, could Bush have come back and won the nomination in 1984?

It may have been closer, but I think Reagan is still the 1980 nominee. The closer race does preclude the talk of Ford as VP in 1980, but Reagan may not pick Bush, either.

And unless the Iranian hostage crisis is butterflied away, Reagan still wins in 1980. The only difference is the VP is Jack Kemp, not Bush, and Kemp ends up the 1988 nominee.

George H.W. Bush becomes Secretary of State for Reagan, and serves both of Reagan's terms.
 
It may have been closer, but I think Reagan is still the 1980 nominee. The closer race does preclude the talk of Ford as VP in 1980, but Reagan may not pick Bush, either.

And unless the Iranian hostage crisis is butterflied away, Reagan still wins in 1980. The only difference is the VP is Jack Kemp, not Bush, and Kemp ends up the 1988 nominee.

George H.W. Bush becomes Secretary of State for Reagan, and serves both of Reagan's terms.
So Ford's close loss was predetermined by 1974?
 
I see him remaining on the ticket in 1976 and I don't think
he changes the result. This really complicates his path to the White House. That would really make it hard for his sons to be elected president and governor.
 
Bush could win '76 just as Ford does. C'mon, a Texas win? Carter would do worse against another Southerner I would think.

Regardless if he does win, George W. Bush is probably elected to the House in 1978.
 
Top