If things were as bad for Ford in 1980 as they were for Carter, Reagan would've won the GOP primary and been seen as different enough from Ford that he'd win the presidency as well.
Reagan might well have won the nomination in 1980, but he would have probably lost the race to a Democrat such as Glenn, Askew, Jackson, or Hollings.
Maybe and maybe not. It depends on just how bad things would have been. We're talking about a double if at this point though. It would've been very interesting to see a second term for Ford.
Single if as already been pointed out. Ford could not have run for reelection in 1980 under any circumstances.
If you want as much Ford as constitutionally possible, the most viable scenario would be an entirely different one, with Ford losing in '76, getting chosen as VP in '80, and succeeding Reagan in '81 after his assassination. As Ford had never been elected President in the first place, he'd be eligible to run in 1984.
| 38. Gerald Ford | 8/9/74 - 1/20/77 |
| 39. Jimmy Carter | 1/20/77 - 1/20/81 |
| 40. Ronald Reagan | 1/20/81 - 3/30/81 |
| 41. Gerald Ford | 3/30/81 - 1/20/89 |
For a total of about 10 years and 3 months in office for Ford, assuming he runs for and wins re-election in '84. I'd be interested in seeing folks' take on this.
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