With the moderate Ford facing continued difficulty in securing the support of conservative Republicans for the 1976 presidential nomination , and anticipating a challenge from the conservative Ronald Reagan , he considered the possibility of another running mate , and discussed it with Rockefeller . In November 1975 Rockefeller offered to withdraw . Ford eventually concurred , and in explaining his decision Rockefeller said that he " did n't come down ( to Washington ) to get caught up in party squabbles which only make it more difficult for the President in a very difficult time ... " After Ford was nominated at the 1976 Republican National Convention , Reagan , Barry Goldwater , and other prominent conservatives conditioned their support for Ford on his selection of a suitable vice presidential nominee . Ford considered several candidates , including moderate-to-liberal Republicans such as William Ruckelshaus , and moderate-to-conservative Republicans including Bob Dole , and eventually decided upon Dole as the most acceptable to conservatives
1976 Republican National Convention
1976 Republican National Convention
Nelson Rockefeller