Nixon was so hated around that time, that it would have been
nearly impossible for Ford to be re-elected. He was viewed
as a man that had been appointed by the evil Nixon, and that
would have been a pox on any political candidate.
It would seem to me that a primary win for another candidate
that year may or may not have helped the Republican’s
chances. I think it was a pretty done deal going in.
Yet, he almost did. It was close enough to suggest that had he not been challenged in the primary, he might have won. It was close enough that I wouldn't dogmatically say one way or the other. Reagan would have been the stronger candidate but Gerald Ford was not a candidate with no chance.