Discussion: Two Inches

I'm curious as to your opinions. Obviously the survival method is in the title. But here's my question: How many deaths should I have? .22 is not especially dangerous except when aimed like OTL. For those who remember, Ethel was shot without long-term effect in Resurrection City, and RFKR was simply going out through the main lobby.

*Sorry Your Majesty.
 
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Two Inches


On June 6, 1968, Sen. Robert Kennedy died from Sirhan Sirhan’s .22 bullets fired in the Ambassador kitchen. Since then many have wondered “what if”, including myself, having produced previous timelines on the subject. Now I will attempt to answer this question from yet another angle. Finding To Seek a Newer World is somewhat tough, but eventually I will find it. All comments and critiques are welcome, especially from fellow Kennedy/ 1960’s specialist H.I.M. Norton.

“All dictatorships strangle in the web of their own repression”- Robert Kennedy
“Throughout Arab history, there have been the merchants and the messiahs. The former are forever, the latter are mere transients.”
- Prime Minister Francis Blake to Ankara University, June 10, 1967

Prologue: Season of Uncertainty


December 10, 1967: London, 10 Downing Street

“… Bob, my advice remains the same since you visited me in Montreal last June. Get the field army operational and declare.”
KENNEDY: “Francis, they’ll spin it as a personal vendetta against the President, and the war is the most important issue. I’ll run because he won’t change course in Vietnam.”
BLAKE: “The war is merely a cover for the domestic issues. Which, of course, are urban violence, overspending, and the credibility gap. I am willing to bet that the President will not run next November. His health’s poor, there’s no organization left and he’s a sure loser to Nixon in the general. February was the turning point. When Hubert gets in, he’ll try to use the arsenal of incumbency. Of course, since you have Daley on your side, no point.”

“Between Salem and Bob Kennedy is a gap of Persian Gulf dimensions.”
- P.M. Francis Blake to Foreign Secretary Robert Wellesley, May 28, 1968 after the narrow Oregon win, 44-43


Danger of Defeat


“We cannot call the California race at this time. Senator Kennedy is leading by just under 100,000 votes, but we have not counted the votes from Northern California yet.”
“Bob will win 46-44 mark my words. What worries me the most is that damn corridor. No manoeuvring room but down if something happens. It’s out of my hands now.”

“We cannot call the California primary at this time. Preliminary results show a razor-thin lead for Senator Kennedy of around 30,000 votes. We remind our viewers that this is only 10:30 on the West Coast and 1:30 Eastern…”

“Senator Kennedy has now regained the lead as results from Los Angeles County are being reported, with some eastern precincts having over 90% of the vote for Kennedy, unprecedented since the South during the Roosevelt era.”
11:30 p.m. Pacific
“We can now project that Senator Robert Kennedy has won the California primary. Expecting a statement from the Senator shortly…”

FINAL RESULTS, CA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, 04/06/68

ROBERT KENNEDY: 46.4%, 1,535,673
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 43.6%
THOMAS LYNCH: 10%

NEW JERSEY

ROBERT KENNEDY: 38%
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 35%

SOUTH DAKOTA
ROBERT KENNEDY: 53%
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 30%

DELEGATE PROJECTIONS
HUBERT HUMPHREY: 1030
ROBERT KENNEDY: 890
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 250
UNPLEDGED: 456


“I thank you for this great victory, and let’s go on to Chicago and let’s win there!”
- Robert Kennedy’s victory statement, 0030 PDT.
“Looks like its Bobby. He’s got the momentum now. Of course, Strom won’t care so much about my choice anymore.”
- Richard to Pat Nixon

California Governor Richard Nixon, the 1968 GOP presumptive nominee


nixon-campanign-1968-210-se.jpg


Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the Administration candidate


LislSteiner-Johnson-Humphry1968.jpg


Senator Robert Kennedy, the insurgent Democrat, in Santa Barbara


20080606_rfk0_25.jpg

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley- Kingmaker-In-Chief


21daley.xlarge1.jpg



“Cunning Canuck”: U.K. Prime Minister Sir Francis Blake, 1968. On May 22, crossover Conservative voters had clinched the British Democrats Abroad primary for Sen. Kennedy. Their close friendship dated from the beginning of Blake's career in 1945.



ryan.jpg


“As we were passing through the corridor, there was no noise. Once we got to the kitchen, I began glad-handing, and there he was. Before I could react, Bill got off two rounds, and then saw the blood-stained floor. Fortunately, everyone was all right, if rather shaken. For the first time in nearly a year, I had a cigarette once we returned to the suite.”
Personal Paradigm, Robert Kennedy, 1983

“I was quite worried, but everything turned out as it should.”
Triumphant Tory: Sir Francis Blake, Conrad Black, 2008

“Blake’s advice had been crucial in strategizing for Oregon and California. His vast personal influence was subtly exercised, and as he pointedly reminded Adam Walinsky: the Conservative Party is run by people like us (winking at Bobby) for the middle class. I’ve been representing a mix of Salem, Indianapolis, and Birmingham since 1945.”
Faithful Friendship: Francis Blake, Robert Kennedy, and the Special Relationship

“New York is crucial for the Democratic candidates, for handing Senator Kennedy a victory would complete his primary sweep since his entry into the contest.”

“The Democratic candidates are three peas in a pod, prisoners of the policies of the past.”
- Richard Nixon

“If Mr. Nixon regards the White House as a prison, then why is he running? He feels it is his duty to be the nation’s warden. Didn’t I do that for four years as Attorney General? And I’m not even a Republican. As you can tell, now Mr. Nixon will accuse me of having monarchist inclinations, which would mesh well with my reputation for autocratic ruthlessness.”
- Robert Kennedy

And now, the delegate hunt begins...
 
Your Majesty: A fictional UK PM bearing a strong ideological resemblance to Thatcher.

I fail to see what ballistics have to do with *other things*.
 
Flight of Fate


On June 6, 1968, Sen. Robert Kennedy died from Sirhan Sirhan’s .22 bullets fired in the Ambassador kitchen. Since then many have wondered “what if”, including myself, having produced previous timelines on the subject. Now I will attempt to answer this question from yet another angle. All comments and critiques are welcome, especially from fellow Kennedy/ 1960’s specialist H.I.M. Norton.

“All dictatorships strangle in the web of their own repression”- Robert Kennedy



“We cannot call the California race at this time. Senator Kennedy is leading by just under 100,000 votes, but we have not counted the votes from Northern California yet.”


“We cannot call the California primary at this time. Preliminary results show a razor-thin lead for Senator Kennedy of around 30,000 votes. We remind our viewers that this is only 10:30 on the West Coast and 1:30 Eastern…”

“Senator Kennedy has now regained the lead as results from Los Angeles County are being reported, with some eastern precincts having over 90% of the vote for Kennedy, unprecedented since the South during the Roosevelt era.”
11:30 p.m. Pacific
“We can now project that Senator Robert Kennedy has won the California primary. Expecting a statement from the Senator shortly…”

FINAL RESULTS, CA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, 04/06/68

ROBERT KENNEDY: 46.4%, 1,535,673
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 43.6%
THOMAS LYNCH: 10%

NEW JERSEY

ROBERT KENNEDY: 38%
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 35%

SOUTH DAKOTA
ROBERT KENNEDY: 53%
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 30%

DELEGATE PROJECTIONS AS OF JUNE 6
MAJORITY: 1313
HUBERT HUMPHREY: 1030
ROBERT KENNEDY: 890
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 250
UNPLEDGED: 456


“I thank you for this great victory, and let’s go on to Chicago and let’s win there!”
- Robert Kennedy’s victory statement, 0030 PDT.
“Looks like its Bobby. He’s got the momentum now. Of course, Strom won’t care so much about my choice anymore.”
- Richard to Pat Nixon

California Governor Richard Nixon, the presumptive GOP nominee
nixon-campanign-1968-210-se.jpg




Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the Administration candidate



LislSteiner-Johnson-Humphry1968.jpg

Senator Robert Kennedy, the insurgent Democrat, in Santa Barbara

20080606_rfk0_25.jpg

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley- Kingmaker-In-Chief



21daley.xlarge1.jpg


“As we were passing through the corridor, there was no noise. Once we got to the kitchen, I began glad-handing, and there he was. Before I could react, Bill got off two rounds, and then saw the blood-stained floor. Fortunately, everyone was all right, if rather shaken. For the first time in nearly a year, I had a cigarette once we returned to the suite.”
Personal Paradigm, Robert Kennedy, 1983

“New York is crucial for the Democratic candidates, for handing Senator Kennedy a victory would complete his primary sweep since his entry into the contest.”

“The Democratic candidates are three peas in a pod, prisoners of the policies of the past.”
- Gov. Nixon
“If Mr. Nixon regards the White House as a prison, then why is he running? He feels it is his duty to be the nation’s warden. Didn’t I do that for four years as Attorney General? And I’m not even a Republican. As you can tell, now Mr. Nixon will accuse me of having monarchist inclinations, which would go well with my reputation for autocratic ruthlessness.”
- Robert Kennedy
And now, the delegate hunt begins…

“Democrats are eagerly awaiting New York’s primary, where Senator Kennedy leads by 5, however there is a real possibility of a McCarthy upset.”
CBS broadcast, June 9

“No one has any confidence, and then they wonder why I get discouraged sometimes. I’ve already set a plan to prevent McCarthy from putting Hubert over the top.”
RFK Diaries, June 14

“I will have nothing to do with the beards and have no interest in meeting Hayden or Hoffman. At least Kempton, Newfield and Scheer are good company.”
Robert Kennedy to Fred Dutton

“We now have an exit poll for you, which show voter concern over the war and inflation predominating on the minds of 63% of interviewed voters. 56% of them voted for Senator Kennedy, but NBC cannot make a projection until after the upstate polls have closed.”

“The polls have now closed, and we can now project that Senator Robert Kennedy is heading for his biggest primary victory yet in New York…”

JUNE 18: NEW YORK (D)
ROBERT KENNEDY: 61%
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 37%

“Now the real work begins: head hunting. Flying to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh Fri. to meet Lawrence and Young.”
RFK Diaries, June 25

“We’ll be conferring next Wednesday. Our meeting is still on for Thursday though.”
Mayor Daley to Commissioner Wade, June 29

“After hard bargaining, I’ve swung Penn into my column and got the neutrality of Ohio until the convention.”
RFK Diaries, July 5

“As we have seen in recent weeks, the Democrats are hopelessly divided on their candidate. They want to win, and Bobby’s their only hope. Many conservative Democrats also want to win the war, which means they support the Vice President or me. So they can win an election or win a war. Even Churchill could not do both.”
Nixon on the stump, July 15

“How many of you have heard Gov. Nixon’s remarks? Nice things about me, while implying he can do what Winston Churchill could not. I used to think the President had a split personality, but now there’s a new contender in that field.”

DELEGATE PROJECTIONS, JULY 20
ROBERT KENNEDY: 1110
HUBERT HUMPHREY: 1080
EUGENE MCCARTHY: 300
UNPLEDGED: 136
MAJORITY: 1313

RNC, Aug. 5, Miami Beach, FL

“He’s acceptable, better yet, good, for us.”
Strom Thurmond to Nixon

1st ballot
Richard Nixon: 765 votes
Nelson Rockefeller: 310 votes
Rest scattered

“My fellow Republicans, I give you a man who will be great for America and a loyal Republican, Congressman George Bush!”

Vice Presidential ballot
George Bush: 1121 votes
“I’m the only poor man in this race.”
-Hubert Humphrey

“He’s certainly has a surplus in self-pity, in which we should all have a deficit.”
- Robert Kennedy
“No more than five. That is a direct order.”
Mayor Daley
 
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Hmm..... interesting prospect. It's hard to say who will win, but it will be interesting either way. If RFK wins (that is, if he's nominated), then we have an RFK presidency in 1969-73 or '77, depending on if he's re-elected. That would be very interesting. However, if Nixon wins, we have a Bush vice presidency in 1969. If Nixon does Watergate and resigns in '74, we have a Bush presidency in '74. Or, if he doesn't..... Bush '76? 'Less there's a trick to it, that's my two cents.
 
Last update for a while...
“Today, the FCC announced the lifting of equal-time regulations in advance of the much-anticipated Democratic debate in Chicago next Monday.”
CBS News, Aug. 14

“Hubert will attack me and ignore McCarthy, and I’ll do the same, for different reasons of course.”
RFK Diaries, Aug. 16
“We are now live in Chicago for the Democratic debate. On our left, we have Senator Eugene McCarthy, at centre mike we have Senator Robert Kennedy, and Vice President Humphrey on the right. The debate will start with a one-minute opening statement by each candidate, followed by thirty minutes of questioning by our panel. A reminder to our viewers, this debate will be primarily on domestic policy…”
“What would you do to improve the situation of low-income neighborhoods?”
MCCARTHY: “I believe that we should encourage economic development of those neighborhoods, with the federal government taking a leading role in this initiative. Perhaps we can move some residents to the suburbs.”
KENNEDY: “So, in your opinion, the federal government should conduct population transfers? That’s reminds me of a country I recently visited.”
MCCARTHY: “I merely suggested incentives- not forced at all.”
KENNEDY: “My solution is what I have done in Bedford-Stuyvesant on a national level- having tax incentives for private business to encourage neighborhood development. What they need are jobs, not bureaucratic solutions imposed by Washington from people with no idea of actual neighborhood conditions.”
HUMPHREY: “I agree with Senator Kennedy on this point.”
“On Vietnam, how do you think the war should be resolved?”
HUMPHREY: “We have to go for a military victory, with political reform in South Vietnam. What we cannot do is tell President Thieu how to run his government or with whom to negotiate. I would ask for more contributions from our Asian allies, particularly the ANZAC countries and the Koreans. The Trail must be cut in order to starve the VC of supplies, which is supported by Generals Westmoreland and Eisenhower.”

KENNEDY: “If I am elected, I will order a policy review, with phased withdrawal. We will honor our commitments; however the Vietnamese must fight this war by themselves. President Thieu is doing the best he can under the circumstances, however…”
“55% of respondents viewed the debate as a tie between Humphrey and Kennedy, with both scoring points on foreign and domestic policy. Senator McCarthy was generally ignored, except for the population transfer remark.”
CBS analysts, Aug. 24

“Since we’re tied in delegates anyways, I guess it makes sense.”
RFK Diaries, Aug. 26

Democratic Convention, Chicago, Aug. 26

“Get Ohio, because then we’ll be settling down here for a while.”
Robert Kennedy to Larry O’Brien

“We still haven’t hammered it out.”
Mayor Daley on the Syndicate

1st ballot
Robert Kennedy: 1178
Hubert Humphrey: 1108
Eugene McCarthy: 300

“I will not go to McCarthy as a ****in supplicant. Who do you think I am? Sorry, but as the 10th person to ask me, it becomes quite irritating.”
RFK to unnamed NY delegate

“If this goes on longer than 5, might as well concede to Nixon, because that’s what will happen.”
Mayor Daley

“If McCarthy doesn’t move them, you move yourselves over there.”
- Mayor Daley
2nd ballot
Robert Kennedy: 1298
Hubert Humphrey: 1228
Eugene McCarthy: 60
“Fifteen votes. What a sore loser.”
- RFK to Fred Dutton

“Move right now.”

3rd ballot
Robert Kennedy: 1421
Hubert Humphrey: 1205
Eugene McCarthy: 60

“This part’s easy; the next part will require some work.”

“Yes, Yes, Yes. Time’s of the essence.”
Mayor Daley to Robert Kennedy
“Give McCarthy State? I’d sooner give Thurmond HUD!”

Vice-Presidential balloting
Terry Sanford: 2530
Hubert Humphrey: 96

“Now let’s go out there and send Nixon back to Sacramento!”
- RFK on emerging from the Convention


’68 Campaigner of Choice: RFK’s 727 at Midway, 1968. Both Kennedy and Nixon used 727s as their campaign planes, and for Kennedy, a private one as well.”

 
I'll post the official thread later. In the meantime, use YouTube to catch up on the speechifying... ;)

"If you want to be filled with Pablum and tranquilizers, then vote for some other candidate. If you have seen the Mississippi Delta as I have, you know this is not the politics of joy."

"I do not believe the electorate is the one who needs sedatives."
 
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