Reply #61: Good question.

[Tom Rinaldo]

Ford contrasted really well with Nixon. Ford was obviously a basically honest and sincere man, and people may have been relieved and grateful for that. Carter and Ford later became good friends. But I don't know it that explains all of it. Republicans perfected hard ball very effective campaign tactics, many of them below the radar, under Nixon. Lee Atwater was already on the scene, and while I don't know if he had any hand whatsoever in Ford's campaign, his stamp was already on Republican political operations. But I don't know if that explains any of it either. Good question.