1976: McGovern v. Ford

[Kaine for Senate '18]

George McGovern, campaigning as the "I told you so" candidate, is somehow able to win the 1976 Democratic nomination, selecting Governor Jimmy Carter as his running mate.  The GOP primaries run the same as in real life.

Republican:
President Gerald Ford (Michigan)
Senator Bob Dole (Kansas)

Democrat:
Senator George McGovern (South Dakota)
Governor Jimmy Carter (Georgia)

[Lincoln Republican]

Will the Democrats never learn? 

McGovern is going nowhere as a Presidential candidate, no matter the year.

The Republican campaign succeeds in painting McGovern, again, as a dangerous leftwing ideologue who would bankrupt the country, raise taxes, weaken the armed forces, and leave the nation's international interests vulnerable.

McGovern is shut of the south, with the exception of Georgia, which Carter wins for the ticket. 

Ford/Dole                          415
McGovern/Carter               103

[Antonio the Sixth]

Ford : 52%, 383 E.V.
McGovern : 47%, 155 E.V.

[CaptainSocks]

I say Arkansas and North Carolina vote for McGovern, because both states have long populist traditions. Kentucky and West Virginia vote McGovern because the Democrats are the party of unions. Georgia votes for Ford because even though everyone likes voting for a hometown boy, McGovern is far too liberal for the state's tastes.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Ford probably would have won, but McGovern would have ran a much better campaign regardless.

[Lincoln Republican]

Will the Democrats never learn? 

McGovern is going nowhere as a Presidential candidate, no matter the year.

The Republican campaign succeeds in painting McGovern, again, as a dangerous leftwing ideologue who would bankrupt the country, raise taxes, weaken the armed forces, and leave the nation's international interests vulnerable.

McGovern is shut of the south, with the exception of Georgia, which Carter wins for the ticket. 

Ford/Dole                          415
McGovern/Carter               103

I would like to correct an error in my map. 

Ford wins Georgia.  I believe that even with Carter on the ticket as VP candidate, there is no way the voters of Georgia would entrust the Presidency to McGovern.

[pragmatic liberal]

Interesting factoid: in real life, McGovern voted for Ford.

[RS.Ngai]

While Ford would be saddled with the unpopularity of the pardoning of Nixon, McGovern would have a heavy burden as well - his association with the New Left of the 1960s and the infamous "Amnesty, Abortion and Acid", so you're going to have two unpopular presidential candidates.

Assuming no third party runs, here would be my prediction:

While Ford's pardoning of Nixon might hurt him, there's no way I can see McGovern win the election. Carter gives him Georgia, and I believe Washington and Hawaii will go for McGovern, but both by razor-thin margins, the same applies to Pennsylvania.