IF everyone wanted him to be the party nominee then why wasn’t he in 1976? I think you’re the one full of it, my friend.
He was very close to being the nominee in ‘76.
“Mystery Babylon” was strongly behind Ford as the Republican candidate, but the people largely knew who he was, and the strings he had pulled and were not going to vote for him.
Squeaking in as the GOP nominee just got Ford the opportunity to lose the election.