On the heels of the Watergate scandal, the Dems would have won as long as their candidate did not drool on himself too much. Hence, President Jimmah.
Please remember people that Ford was just as liberal as Carter (Whip Inflation Now!). He would have probably handled the hostage situation better, though - but Reagan would never have been elected as people would have thought that yet another Republican President was enough (The Swimmer would have been elected then...)
It was the last time a Dem got more than 50% of the vote. The other was on the heels of the Kennedy assassination.