Per Jeff Toobin's solid "The Pardon," new President Gerald Ford had three people he was considering as vice president in late summer 1974. The first was Rocky, his actual choice, who was already supporting a Nixon pardon, Toobin notes. The second? Wiki says it was Howard Baker, not even mentioned by Toobin, who lists Rogers Morton, John Rhodes and Bill Brock as others in the top five along with ...
Poppy Bush.
Not a semi-wingnut like Reagan, Bush nonetheless was conservative enough, and had moved enough to the right in the previous half-dozen years, that he would have been "palatable" to the conservative wing of the GOP in a way Rockefeller was not. Hold on to that.
If Ford still loses in 1976, nonetheless, Bush is in a better position for 1980 than he was in reality.
That said, remember Ford dropped Rocky in 1976 and replaced him with Bob Dole to shore up relations with conservatives after Reagan's strong challenge. What if having Bush there all along lets Ford defeat Reagan earlier and not kowtow? Maybe he wins.
Relevant to Toobin's book, what if Bush cautions Ford to hold off? He was head of the RNC at the time, and could have offered Ford advice in that direction. Maybe that, too, eventually releasing a pardon shortly after the midterms, which helps Ford's 1975-76 agenda, helps him win.
With Ford in for a full term, maybe there's no Iranian hostage situation.
Bush holds off Reagan making another run in 1980 and Reaganism is dead.
I do not think Reagan would have accepted a Ford offer. That would have precluded his run in 1976, for all practical purposes, and would have left him in a different position in 1980, especially after a Ford win.
That said, Wiki says Howard Baker was Ford's third option, not Reagan.
Baker would have been problematic if his ex parte conversations with Nixon ever came to light.
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