Ronald Reagan declines to run. Bob Dole, John Connally, Jack Kemp, and Jesse Helms split the conservative vote, while Ford easily wiped out Bush in the Rockefeller Republican and centrist lane. While he chooses Millicent Fenwick as Vice President, keynote speaker Guy Vander Jagt manages to unite the entire party behind Ford.
Carter, meanwhile, faced a Southern party rebellion from Lester Maddox, who he seeks to appease by picking Askew. While the progressive's leader, Ted Kennedy, endorses the ticket, other progressives are strongly tempted by the Republican ticket.
Maddox endorses John Rarick(AI-LA)/Bill Shearer(AI-CA).
499: Fmr. Pres. Gerald Ford(R-MI)/Rep. Millicent Fenwick(R-NJ) - 51.5%
039: Pres. James Carter(D-GA)/Fmr. Gov. Reubin Askew(D-FL) - 40.4%
Rep. John Rarick(AI-LA)/Activist Bill Shearer(AI-CA) - 7.7%
Other: 0.4%
