WI: Gerald Ford Assassinated

In 1975 there were two assassination attempts on President Ford. Thankfully, niether one succeeded-but what if one had? What would America be like under a Rockefeller administration? Assuming Rockefeller won in 1976 out of sympathy for the late president (a la LBJ following JFK), who would his VP be, who would run against this person in 1980, and what would the chances of both candidates be?
 
The VP nomination is especially interesting. In OTL Rocky died in January 1979. I do not know whether his death would be speeded or slowed by having the responsibility but also the support of the Presidency. As I write this I a guess his death is speeded- being very rich I do not imagine Nelson would have got that much better attention as Pres than as a private citizen.

I tend to assume that he could not have picked someone as radical as Reagan: Dole, or maybe Daddy Bush.

I am also assuming that Reagan would lose his primary challenge in 1976- noting just how big of a shock America would have had. I wonder about a 1980 challenge against, I am guessing here President Dole.

I tend to assume the economy will be pretty much as bad a state as in OTL. I think that a Republican winning in this 1980 is not all that likely.
 
I think the obvious VP choice for Rockefeller is Reagan. Does being inside the administration convince Reagan not challenge in the 1976 primaries? If he does run, I think he wins. Roccky has a liberal reputation and look how close the Conservative Ford came to losing the nomination.
 
I recall reading, and this may only be a rumor, that Rockefeller died of a heart attack while in "intimate relations" with his mistress Megan Marshack. So if that's true, his death can be avoided.


I think the obvious VP choice for Rockefeller is Reagan. Does being inside the administration convince Reagan not challenge in the 1976 primaries? If he does run, I think he wins. Roccky has a liberal reputation and look how close the Conservative Ford came to losing the nomination.
Rockefeller running with Reagan as VP would be like Dewey running with Taft as VP. It's oil and water; the leader of the Liberal-Moderates, and the leader of the Conservatives. These two men can't run together. I'd also like to note that Ford was a moderate rather than a Conservative.

The seeds of the Conservative revolution in the 1980's may have already have been visible in the 1970's and this era the scenario takes place in, but still Liberalism was not a four letter word and was pretty much the political mainstream, with Conservatism -at least of the Goldwater/Reagan brand- seen as outside the mainstream if not radical. Due to problems in governance and circumstance, the Reaganites would be looked to as alternatives (albeit not for themselves, necessarily. Reagan was elected in 1980 not out of support for his ideology, but out of him being the alternative to Carter) and as they gained power, slowly mold themselves into being the mainstream and making Liberalism besmirched as a term which I believe was already taking place in this time period but not as advanced yet. But the fact remains that Rockefeller would not be a radical or unelectable in this era.

I think rallying the party behind him after the death of Ford and with himself being a strong political figure, Rockefeller could clinch the nomination and Reagan wouldn't be too much of a threat. Whether he can win in 1980 is another matter based both on what he does and how well he fixes matters, and the fact that you'd have about a decade plus of Republican rule and Controversy in those years.
 
Last edited:
Top