Full disclosure: this is for a story I'm writing where a time traveler prevents the assassinations of both King and Kennedy. Not only do they not die, they're not shot at all, and no one has any clue that they almost were. Now the time traveler is trying to prevent the violence at the Chicago DNC - but saving those two men may have created some unexpected complications.
Kennedy, as a candidate, would be in town for the DNC. In our timeline, the Poor People's Campaign was also in town that weekend. I'm not sure if that protest was planned before King died, but if so, it's very likely he would have been there too. In either event, the lack of riots following King's death would likely make things less tense - but might make Kennedy a less appealing candidate, as he never gave that famous Indianapolis speech.
So here's what I'm wondering: the worst of the violence seemed to have been sparked by a small group of people in Grant Park (at least one of whom was evidently an undercover cop) lowering the American flag after the DNC voted down the "peace plank." If what I've read is correct, the plank was narrowly voted down due primarily to pressure from LBJ and Mayor Daley. However, if Kennedy was still alive and running as a peace candidate - and Mayor Daley liked him and supported him - would they have voted down the peace plank at all?
For that matter, couldn't Kennedy have urged Daley to ease up on the protesters? The more I read about this, the more I come to the conclusion that the violence was driven by the police officers. Protesters threw rocks, sure, but only after the police - who had been ordered to shoot to kill - had already started attacking them. They refused to give any anti-war protesters permits to march, then when they peacefully marched anyway, viciously attacked them - and any random passerby who looked like they might be a protester - with pepper spray, clubs, and bullets. So in my mind, the primary driver of the violence was Mayor Daley's insane crackdown on protesters. And since Daley supported Kennedy, and Kennedy was still alive, is it possible that Kennedy could have convinced him not to go through with this overkill?
That seems likely to me, but I'd actually appreciate someone convincing me of the opposite, because it would make for a rather boring story!
Using the "rule of cool," I'm also leaning towards Ronald Reagan becoming the Republican presidential candidate, even though it's pretty unlikely. I don't, however, want it all to be a complete disaster (i.e., riots being even worse, charismatic Reagan going up against Humphrey, etc.) because this particular character has already messed up a previous attempt to right history and I would like to portray her as at least halfway competent. (Maybe her successful rescues of MLK and RFK are enough to establish that?)
Thoughts? Ideas?
Kennedy, as a candidate, would be in town for the DNC. In our timeline, the Poor People's Campaign was also in town that weekend. I'm not sure if that protest was planned before King died, but if so, it's very likely he would have been there too. In either event, the lack of riots following King's death would likely make things less tense - but might make Kennedy a less appealing candidate, as he never gave that famous Indianapolis speech.
So here's what I'm wondering: the worst of the violence seemed to have been sparked by a small group of people in Grant Park (at least one of whom was evidently an undercover cop) lowering the American flag after the DNC voted down the "peace plank." If what I've read is correct, the plank was narrowly voted down due primarily to pressure from LBJ and Mayor Daley. However, if Kennedy was still alive and running as a peace candidate - and Mayor Daley liked him and supported him - would they have voted down the peace plank at all?
For that matter, couldn't Kennedy have urged Daley to ease up on the protesters? The more I read about this, the more I come to the conclusion that the violence was driven by the police officers. Protesters threw rocks, sure, but only after the police - who had been ordered to shoot to kill - had already started attacking them. They refused to give any anti-war protesters permits to march, then when they peacefully marched anyway, viciously attacked them - and any random passerby who looked like they might be a protester - with pepper spray, clubs, and bullets. So in my mind, the primary driver of the violence was Mayor Daley's insane crackdown on protesters. And since Daley supported Kennedy, and Kennedy was still alive, is it possible that Kennedy could have convinced him not to go through with this overkill?
That seems likely to me, but I'd actually appreciate someone convincing me of the opposite, because it would make for a rather boring story!
Thoughts? Ideas?