Culture Butterflies: RFK Presidency

John Fredrick Parker

Donor
What would be some effects in pop culture of Robert Kennedy getting elected 1968? For example, in his book, Jeff Greenfield speculates that w/ an earlier end to the Vietnam War, and fatigue settling across the nation, Patton and MASH would be box office flops. Any idea where the butterflies might go from there?
 

THE OBSERVER

You should read "A Disturbance of Fate" and take note of the cultural changes that the author outlines. Pretty interesting or ASB.
 

Glass Onion

THE OBSERVER said:
You should read "A Disturbance of Fate" and take note of the cultural changes that the author outlines. Pretty interesting or ASB.
Click to expand...

I don't consider myself an expert in any way, shape, or form, about Robert Kennedy, but I've read that book. So much of it is predicated on a great degree of wish fulfillment, to the extent that I am not sure any of the changes in culture mentioned in the text would occur if Kennedy were to become President in January 1969.
 

Peelitebkearns

I read quite a good TL on here based on a potential RFK Presidency, The Impossible Dream, I think.

In that scenario, I can see Punk being a little less popular and 70's culture in that TL resembling the culture of the 80's in some ways.

One obvious change in this TL as well as Vietnam ending early is the absence of Watergate. That's bound to dampen down the cinicism of many in regards to politics, making the 70's punk movement less vocal perhaps. I don't see it going away entirely-but it'd be more underground than OTL.

Hmmm I'm not sure how the likes of Saturday Night Live would react to RFK being in office, instead of Nixon/Ford. That's assuming he wins a second term-which as said above depends on what kind of a president he is.
 

voss749

In OTL Nixon did laugh in.

I think SNL might very well have had Bobby Kennedy on the show.

You also might see RFK try to mend fences with Castro and some version of a SALT agreement.

One interesting southern democrat that RFK might have picked as a running mate was former florida governor Leroy Collins known as a moderate among southern democrats on racial issues.
 
modelcitizen

modelcitizen

John Fredrick Parker said:
Hm, maybe we can go element by element -- for example, I'd say plenty of people here can see the Vietnam War coming to a sooner end under RFK. To start, how would that, in itself, affect pop culture? If more specifics help still, how about American cinema?
Click to expand...


I wonder how much sooner he would end it.

Wasn't he a Cold War warrior like his brother? Wouldn't he be interested in withdrawing in a way to save as much face internationally as possible? The difference between him and Nixon in terms of withdrawal schedule might boil down to a matter of months. (That could amount to hundreds if not thousands of lives saved, of course.)


I know that "All The President's Men" doesn't get made.

Any and all cultural sprouts from Nixon being president '69-'73/'69-'74 are replaced by alternative developments/lack thereof.
 

Readman

From what I understand, RFK was much better with and more generally liked by the media, without Nixon in office I think that the press might be less bloodthirsty for scandal and embarrasement. At least for a while.
 

statichaos

I think that some of the darker, more revolutionary elements of youth culture might be blunted for a while. The Weather Underground might be marginalized within the larger movement. In turn, this could lead to less introspective and cynical songs as the 70s begin to bloom, and perhaps something akin to what we saw in the "Wacky Redhead" timeline, where television shows orient themselves more towards optimism.

However, after a few years, I can also see some disillusionment sprouting up, and a greater move towards political disaffection, which could give birth to some sort of punk rock a few years earlier, as well as shows and films that don't bother addressing politics at all except obliquely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top