1980: Ford/Fenwick v. Carter/Askew v. Rarick/Shearer

[Kingpoleon]

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%

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Askew was to Carter's left, so he wouldn't pick him if he wanted to retain Southern conservatives.   Carter's best course in any case is sticking with Mondale.   

The GOP doesn't present a ticket with much appeal in the South, and many conservatives are put off by Ford's pick of Fenwick, but Ford is helped by the poor economic situation. 

Gerald Ford/Millicent Fenwick  51% 431
Jimmy Carter/Fritz Mondale    44% 107
John Rarick/Bill Shearer           4%