Earl Warren might still be Chief Justice today if JFK had died. By late 1967 he wanted to step down; but
if it seemed likely that the 1968 presidential election would be won by a Republican- especially Richard
Nixon, who Warren loathed- Warren would had stayed on rather than risking a chance that the court
would then be headed by a Conservative who would undo all Warren had accomplished. But with JFK
very much alive, Warren felt it was safe to leave, in that he was certain JFK would pick- & be able to
get confirmed as well- a liberal to succeed him. Which indeed turned out to be the case, as JFK
elevated Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg into the Chief Justice spot.
if it seemed likely that the 1968 presidential election would be won by a Republican- especially Richard
Nixon, who Warren loathed- Warren would had stayed on rather than risking a chance that the court
would then be headed by a Conservative who would undo all Warren had accomplished. But with JFK
very much alive, Warren felt it was safe to leave, in that he was certain JFK would pick- & be able to
get confirmed as well- a liberal to succeed him. Which indeed turned out to be the case, as JFK
elevated Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg into the Chief Justice spot.