Dixie Destroys Democrats- Atlantic City '64

Let's say that Dixie walks out of the 1964 Democratic Convention and ally with Goldwater, since he fits their needs without forming a third party. Trigger point: MFDP don't compromise. Even losing every Southern state but Texas, he still wins 354 ECV. Still a landslide. Perhaps, as an added twist, "spontaneous" demonstrations arise that nominate RFK for VP. Johnson has a choice: either have yet another major PR disaster, or accept. Meanwhile, Nixon's rubbing his hands in anticipation of '68. Thoughts? Besides Nixon having the Strategy handed to him on a golden platter.
 
Doesn't sound too different from OTL. LBJ's landslide gives him the nice liberal majority he got OTL, and he probably gets the same results, legislatively.

LBJ, as per OTL, probably doesn't run in 1968. RFK adopts the moniker of HHH, advocating a moderated stance on Vietnam, rather than his anti-war campaign stance. McCarthy serves his traditional role, and maybe you have someone else come out against RFK as an anti-war candidate. If you want irony, have HHH do so. If not, McGovern is your stand-in for RFK.
 
This is what I was looking for, TL material. Now RFK enjoying the prerogatives of incumbency is not as politically dangerous as it is ironic. Unlike HHH, he's an independent Veep with his own support who will not hesitate to pursue a different line. I don't think McGovern would run against a personal friend.
 
This is what I was looking for, TL material. Now RFK enjoying the prerogatives of incumbency is not as politically dangerous as it is ironic. Unlike HHH, he's an independent Veep with his own support who will not hesitate to pursue a different line. I don't think McGovern would run against a personal friend.

That's a good point. Now HHH as the RFK analogue, that would be interesting, and quite ironic. Then again, HHH's majority support came from labor and the Daley Democrats, and with those likely lined up behind the establishment VP, I'm not sure if he could make his case.

So we might end up having a Kennedy versus McCarthy sparring match in the primaries. Or not. It really depends on how the Vice Presidency effects RFK. If he becomes like Humphrey, McCarthy is definitely going to be there dogging him on about the war. If he remains more independent than HHH, though, there's the chance that no one comes out against him in the primary. This would mean that he keeps the party unified and prepared for the challenges of the election. Which, IMO, means a Kennedy win in 1968.
 
RFK vs. McCarthy? Quelle blague. If he'd entered earlier, then it would have been a primary sweep and focusing on His Honor's goodwill. Probably butterflying the assassination. My writing will have that in mind, but of course the great battleground between Bobby Kennedy and Richard Nixon is the suburbs, somewhat like 2004 in that respect. Advantage is definitely Nixon there. Again, like OTL California, turnout. With the state evenly divided between burbs and urb, his primary victory (which probably clinched the nomination had he not been murdered 5 min later) depended on 90%+ voting/turnout among minorities. Oregon worked well IOTL, but Kennedy was self-admittedly not a middle-class warrior like Nixon or Margaret Thatcher. LBJ won't help him in TX, because their personal animosity will only intensify with the four-year daily rub. NY, CA, NJ, MO. Otherwise, a slam- dunk 1976 beckons...
 
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