Charisma clash: RFK v. Reagan '68

The Reagan POD is Nixon missing his first-ballot majority (only 25 votes) and after a couple more ballots, Reagan wins the nomination after Nixon collapses.

How would the general election campaign play out- the results are a coin flip IMO, with a slight edge to Reagan because he draws away Wallace strength in the South and incumbency fatigue. Strategy is what I'm looking for.

IMO:

Kennedy: Portray Reagan as a dangerous, inexperienced radical. Depragogue Reagan on his economic views and perhaps be more dovish to fully harness antiwarriors behind him. Play up his "tough on crime and its causes" positions to draw moderate Republicans away from Reagan and keep the NDC united. Entire campaign spent in the Rust Belt and California, since the South is almost entirely (except NC or GA, depending on whether he picks Sanford or Sanders) a write-off.

Reagan: Nixon's OTL themes, plus burnish his outsider creds in contrast to the consummate insider Kennedy.
 
The math favors Reagan but the mood favors Kennedy. I'd give it to RFK - Goldwater was just 4 years earlier.
 
Well, the POD is that Kennedy survives, wins the nomination and as IOTL fears of Nixon losing to another Kennedy means a first ballot loss and eventual Reagan victory.

It comes up every once in a while I think, but the consensus is that RFK takes it.
 
I hate to sound like a broken record on the RFK in 68 topic but...

LBJ hated RFK with the fire of a billion suns and he was absolutely obsessed with the idea of being stuck as the accident between the Kennedys.

If RFK gets the nod, LBJ does whatever is needed to elect Reagan.

Also Wallace is likely to quietly concede the same, not wanting another 'damned Kennedy'
 
I hate to sound like a broken record on the RFK in 68 topic but...

LBJ hated RFK with the fire of a billion suns and he was absolutely obsessed with the idea of being stuck as the accident between the Kennedys.

If RFK gets the nod, LBJ does whatever is needed

Reagan wants to dismantle the Great Society. I think that LBJ will hold his nose and support RFk.
 
I hate to sound like a broken record on the RFK in 68 topic but...

LBJ hated RFK with the fire of a billion suns and he was absolutely obsessed with the idea of being stuck as the accident between the Kennedys.

If RFK gets the nod, LBJ does whatever is needed to elect Reagan.

Also Wallace is likely to quietly concede the same, not wanting another 'damned Kennedy'

What can Wallace and LBJ do though? LBJ maybe president, but he's pretty unpopular at this point and from what I can gather, RFK challenged HHH for the nomination in order to provide an alternative to 4 more years of LBJ's policies.

LBJ attempting to influence things (however subtlely) may actually backfire. One of the only things Jonson can do to publically distance himself from RFK is to refuse to campaign with him, which would only help Kennedy's image as an alternative to the president.

This doesn't mean I think Reagan will definitely lose-but it'll be close and I'd give the edge to RFK. Having said that, I think in this scenario Reagan will come back in 1972 and win if the Kennedy administration is going badly, or pull an OTL Nixon in 76 if Kennedy is in a position to win a second term. I'd say exactly the same thing about RFK in the event that Reagan wins...
 
Also Wallace is likely to quietly concede the same, not wanting another 'damned Kennedy'[/QUOTE]

Reagan is not enough of an opponent of the civil rights laws. Wallace stays in.
 
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