Could Ronald Reagan have defeated Jimmy Carter in 1976 Presidential Election?

It's certainly arguable, but I think probably not. To be sure, Ford made two major mistakes: Pardoning Nixon and his unforgivable flub in the second presidential debate when he stated that the Countries of eastern Europe were NOT under Soviet domination. Both of these cost him dearly; and it's plausible that Reagan, not burdened by these mistakes would have prevailed.

But in a more full appreciation of the times, in 1976, the nation was fed up with the Republicans in a huge way. It's important not simply to look at the presidential race, but the Congressional races as well. SImply put, the Republicans got trounced so badly that some pundits actually, seriously predicted the demise of the Republican Party. It was a rout.

The mood of the nation was for a decisive break with the politics as usual; and for better or worse, Carter represented that paradigm shift. Of course, as another former governor, Reagan also could have claimed that; but the nation wanted change, and they saw the Democrats as the most viable source.

Another factor to consider is that the Southern Coalition that became so important to Republicans since 1980 had not yet gelled in 1976. As the first true southerner (LBJ notwithstanding) to be contending for the presidency since before the Civil War, Carter carried vast areas of the South, and would have deprived Reagan of these critical states without which he couldn't have been elected. Moreover, he was viewed positively by Fundamentalist Christians in 1976 and would have deprived the Republicans of that base as well. For these reasons I believe carter would have beaten Reagan in 1976.

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RE:

Could Ronald Reagan have defeated Jimmy Carter in 1976 Presidential Election?

Everybody knows that Reagan beat Carter in 1980. However, Reagan came very close to beating Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican Convention. Had Reagan beaten Ford and faced Carter in the General Election, could Reagan have won? Remember----1976--no hostages in Iran; no energy crisis; economy not in...

You're forgetting the precise reason that Reagan beat Carter was everything that went wrong between '76-80. That would all have been Reagan's mess and he would have lost in '80.

Also, how does Reagan getting elected stop hostages from getting taken and killed? How does Reagan stop OPEC from destroying gas prices?

Reagan was not magic and he couldn't have out forward his reforms with the gas crisis he couldn't stop. Reagan would have failed if elected in '76.

He would have won but things would be harder since they didn't know carter reagan wouldn't have the same support In 1976 given the chance himself then he would In 1980.

In Certain years because of the social and political atmosphere, one party or the other has a virtual lock on the election, regardless who the candidates are. In 1968 any Republican would have defeated any Democrat. In 1976, and in 2008, any Democrat would have beaten any Republican.

Carter. The country was fed up with the Republicans after Watergate and were looking for someone different. Reagan was still too much of an unknown. He used those years to establish his base.

Even with Watergate still in people's minds, Carter narrowly beat Ford, it was one of the closest elections in history. Had Ford not pardoned Nixon, which he arguably had to to move the country foward, he probably would have beaten Carter.

Maybe it's okay