1980-1996 Forum.

[TommyC1776]

Here's a forum to list questions about 1980-1996.  Sorry about all these threads but I fgure this is a better way to get more posts without making a big mess with too many posts on the "US Presidential Election Results" Forum.

[Lincoln Republican]

In 1980, having secured the GOP nomination, Ronald Reagan briefly and foolishly toyed with the idea of having Gerald Ford on the ticket as VP.  Actual negotiations were initiated between the Reagan and Ford camps, and Ford began to make ridiculous, unreasonable, and unconstitutional demands, i.e., what almost amounted to a co-Presidency.

Had Reagan been deluded enough to accept these absurd demands, and had foolishly put the gaffe prone Ford on the ticket, would this have been enough to doom the Reagan candidacy even against the failed debacle of the Carter Presidency, especially since the Democrats would of course have made a big issue out Reagan not understanding the constitutional authority of the Vice President.

Please discuss.   

[Dr. Cynic]

I doubt it... Although I'm sure the Carter team would've made it an issue... Let's face facts though, barring a different, and stronger John Anderson, Reagan would still win, because people liked him.

[gorkay]

I don't think it would have been enough to defeat Reagan, even though it may have reduced his margin of victory. Voters had turned against Carter and the Democrats so decisively that it would have taken much more than that to sink Reagan.
Here's another question that branches off the former one: imagine Reagan did pick Ford as running mate, and the Reagan/Ford ticket won two terms. Who would have been the Republicans' 1988 Presidential candidate, and how would the selection have changed the course of Presidential history?

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, it wouldn't have been Ford... I'm inclined to believe that GHWB would still be the 1988 nominee.

In that case, I think the Democrats would not have taken Dukakis, but rather, switched up the 88 ticket and nominated Lloyd Bentsen for President.

[NewFederalist]

Too bad Reagan didn't have Ford on the ticket. Bush 41 was a disaster as president. Like father like son I guess.

[Adlai Stevenson]

I think what is also interesting is that if Reagan had picked Ford for Vice President and they had been elected in 1980 its possible that Ford could have become President of the United States twice without having won the office had Reagan been assassinated by John Hinckley.  Would anyone like to hypothesise what Ford would have been like as President during 1981-1985? Would he have continued with Reagan's tax-cutting, defense buildup programme or would he have advocated a more moderate policy in line with his beliefs?  He would not have been able to seek re-election in 1984 so that would also have been interesting. 

[dazzleman]

In 1980, having secured the GOP nomination, Ronald Reagan briefly and foolishly toyed with the idea of having Gerald Ford on the ticket as VP.  Actual negotiations were initiated between the Reagan and Ford camps, and Ford began to make ridiculous, unreasonable, and unconstitutional demands, i.e., what almost amounted to a co-Presidency.

Had Reagan been deluded enough to accept these absurd demands, and had foolishly put the gaffe prone Ford on the ticket, would this have been enough to doom the Reagan candidacy even against the failed debacle of the Carter Presidency, especially since the Democrats would of course have made a big issue out Reagan not understanding the constitutional authority of the Vice President.

Please discuss.   

I don't think so.  The problems wouldn't have become apparent until later.

I think you seriously misjudge the public attitude toward Former Pres. Ford in 1980.  Ford was quite popular in 1980.  If a rematch between Ford and Carter had been held that year, Ford would have won hands down.  Even though Ford had middling popularity through much of his presidency, Carter made Ford look much better by comparison, and many people later regretted throwing Ford aside for Carter.  Also, Ford would have offered reassurance to those who hated Carter, but thought that Reagan was too conservative and inexperienced.  Even in his darkest hour as president, Ford never approached the level of unpopularity from which Carter suffered in 1980.

So while I think it would have been a bad idea to put Ford on the ticket under the terms that he wanted, I think it would have helped Reagan politically through the election, which was why he considered it.

Ford didn't really want to be on the ticket, which is why he made unreasonable demands.  Henry Kissinger had convinced him that it was his duty to go on the ticket if that's what was required for Reagan to win, since Kissinger thought that the US security position was so grave that it was imperative for the Democrats to be defeated.  But Ford was enjoying his retirement, and neither he nor his family had any desire to return to the political world of Washington.  His wife Betty was in the early stages of recovery from her alcoholism and pill addiction, and Ford had a lot of guilt about how his inattention to her, and his involvement in politics, might have contributed to her problems.  She hated the idea of his going back into politics, and so did the Ford kids.  So I think Ford made those demands in order to torpedo the deal without actually refusing Reagan's request.

Besides, who would want to go back as vice president, after already having been president?  That was probably another factor.

[dazzleman]

I think what is also interesting is that if Reagan had picked Ford for Vice President and they had been elected in 1980 its possible that Ford could have become President of the United States twice without having won the office had Reagan been assassinated by John Hinckley.  Would anyone like to hypothesise what Ford would have been like as President during 1981-1985? Would he have continued with Reagan's tax-cutting, defense buildup programme or would he have advocated a more moderate policy in line with his beliefs?  He would not have been able to seek re-election in 1984 so that would also have been interesting. 

I think that in the early 1980s, as the deficit started to really grow as a result of Reagan's defense buildup and tax cuts, Ford advocated reducing the rate of increase in defense spending in order to cut the deficit.

So I'm guessing that Ford would have moderated Reagan's policies.  In terms of foreign policy, Ford was more or less a captive of Henry Kissinger, and Kissinger did not grasp the inherent weakness in the Soviet system the way that Reagan did, so I doubt that Ford would have continued Reagan's foreign policies.

I find the 1980 election to be the most interesting one of my lifetime.