Flight of Fate

[RogueBeaver]

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.

*You can find the victory speech on YouTube. Ignore the last part (where you do hear shots IIRC) for this TL.

“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

Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the Administration candidate

Senator Robert Kennedy, the insurgent Democrat, in Santa Barbara

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley- Kingmaker-In-Chief

“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

 

[RogueBeaver]

Democratic Dictatorship​

“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.”

 

[RogueBeaver]

To keep everyone on their toes, here's some polling data. The next chapter will come by Friday.

*And you thought Hillary was bad here.

PERSONAL FAVORABILITY

KENNEDY

APPROVE: 50%
DISAPPROVE: 35%
UNSURE: 15%

NIXON

APPROVE: 56%
DISAPPROVE: 30%
UNSURE: 14%

"I just don't trust Nixon. He's shifty-eyed and always looks uncomfortable."- New York professional

"Kennedy spends too much time on civil rights and not enough on us taxpayers."- Oregon suburban mother


"Nixon's the one for Vietnam. He'll give Westmoreland what's needed to win."- Southern gas attendant

"Kennedy cares about us, he came when no one else would."- Indiana housewife


VOTING INTENTIONS- NATIONAL (Sept. 3-5, Gallup)

REPUBLICAN: 45%
DEMOCRATIC: 45%
INDEPENDENT: 10%
UNDECIDED: 3%

INDIANA

REPUBLICAN: 48%
DEMOCRATIC: 47%
INDEPEDENT: 5%

CALIFORNIA

REPUBLICAN: 55%
DEMOCRATIC: 45%

NEW YORK

DEMOCRATIC: 56%
REPUBLICAN: 44%

ILLINOIS

DEMOCRATIC: 52%
REPUBLICAN: 48%

TEXAS

REPUBLICAN: 61%
DEMOCRATIC: 39%

WHOM DO YOU TRUST ON THE ECONOMY?

REPUBLICAN: 52%
DEMOCRATIC: 48%

WHOSE VIETNAM PLATFORM DO YOU SUPPORT?

DEMOCRATIC: 53%
REPUBLICAN: 47%

EV PROJECTIONS

REP: 262
DEM: 246
IND: 30

 

[DuQuense]

On June 6, 1968, Sen. Robert Kennedy died from Sirhan Sirhan’s .22 bullets fired in the Ambassador kitchen

I always heard that Kennedy was killed by a .38. with Sirhans 22's being dug out of the Walls and Ceiling.

 

[RogueBeaver]

Comments on ATL only please, and no conspiracy theories. This is why that round was fatal. Somewhat ironically, the previous time his staff tried to go out through an alternate route (garage), he was very PO'ed and said not to do that again.

 

[RogueBeaver]

Inter-Orthogonian Warfare I: Fall ‘68​

“Been touring California and Indiana in the past few days. There are lots of supporters and well-wishers in those states, but the key is what we did in the primary: mobilizing my voters to the polls. Nixon’s home-state advantage is the problem. But otherwise it will be a long night, don’t expect results till the following day.”

RFK Diaries, Sept. 9

“Senator Kennedy told the nation last month that he would not dictate negotiating terms to President Thieu, yet he has repeatedly called for the inclusion of the Vietcong in a coalition government. I will abide by the wishes of Vietnamese voters: last year they voted to install their present government of President Thieu and Vice President Ky. At the time, he called the results into question, saying that the results were possibly rigged. If so, why should he demand perfection on the first try? How did Senator Kennedy win the nomination? When Mayor Daley arranged it. I quote: “I don’t think the Vietnamese want the Communists, but neither do they want General Ky.” This was during the Manila talks of 1966. Either he was lying then or he’s lying now, and only he can answer that question.”
Nixon in Orange County, CA, Sept. 14


“Governor Nixon has called my integrity into question, but he didn’t say I’m ruthless. It would be somewhat hypocritical, wouldn’t it? Mr. Nixon has not offered any alternative policy viewpoints. On Vietnam, he has called for an escalation of the war, without saying how he would resolve it, other than saying “I will untie General Westmoreland’s hands”. All he has done is attack me without offering alternatives to the status quo. The status quo is indecent for millions of Americans, and I will correct that glaring omission come the 20th of January.”
Kennedy in Queens, NY, Sept. 17

“The ’68 campaign was one of the nastiest on record. Nixon planned it that way, to drag the Democrats into the gutter and rally the South, which needed no encouragement to vote against Bobby Kennedy, into his column. I was somewhat amused by his use of my base mobilization strategy in California. Of course, no one ever accused him of being a poor strategist.”
Strategic Handbook, Karl Rove, 2006

“Tell them to vote for Nixon, whom I know and trust. Moralizing should be heard from the pulpit only. That boy will never approve my plans.”
- President Ferdinand Marcos to Chairman of Filipino-American National Congress, Sept. 20
“He has no soul, no conscience, and no roadblocks to a bloody dictatorship. What he does have is willpower, cunning and intelligence.”
- RFK on Marcos
“This is NBC Breaking News: Governor George Wallace was fatally shot by a black male in Selma while delivering a stump speech. General Lemay has withdrawn his candidacy and now the last barrier to Republican domination of the South is removed…”
Sept. 24

“Indiana, California, North Carolina and Texas. If I lose any of those four, I’m screwed.”
- RFK, privately

“The FCC has announced the lifting of equal-time regulations in preparation for the first Presidential debate in New York this Oct. 5”
CBS broadcast, Sept. 30
Sen. Robert Kennedy and Gov. Richard Nixon in studio, Oct. 5, 1968

“We are live in New York for the first Presidential debate. On the left is New York Senator Robert Kennedy, on the right California Governor Richard Nixon. Unlike the Democratic debate, there will be a one-minute introductory speech, followed by twenty minutes of audience questions. Thereafter we will announce a topic and the two candidates will go head-to-head, with each stating their positions, followed by a rebuttal. Governor Nixon?”



“Today, America is torn by unprecedented urban violence, disrespect for the law, and inflation that has caused the price of food to skyrocket. Very little has been done under a Democratic administration that believes that we can have guns and butter. We can, but only if there is a reduction in the size of government and a greater role for the private sector. On Vietnam, this administration has followed a haphazard course with no plan to win the war. We bomb, search and destroy, then ask for negotiations. That is no way to run a war. I pledge to you the restoration of our economy and prestige abroad. Thank you.”
“Why is this country on its current path? Because this administration has ignored the plight of millions of our fellow citizens, and ignored public opinion, which wants to end the war in Vietnam, end the inequality here at home, and not be jeered whenever they travel abroad. Squalor is indecent, illiteracy is indecent, and I haven’t heard either Governor Nixon or President Johnson address this.”

“Do you agree with the Kerner Report?”
NIXON: “No, I do not. Everyone is blamed for the rioting but the rioters. There is no mention of incitement to riot given by some of the radical black leadership such as Carmichael, Brown, and Seale.”

KENNEDY: “On the whole, I agree with the report, but there are some things with which I disagree. What you have omitted to mention, Governor, is that there are responsible leaders, but they have been ignored by many. I agree with you that the law must be enforced, but there is more to the law than the U.S. Code.”

“Now, we have come to the segment which our viewers have been waiting for: the direct exchanges between the candidates.”

NIXON: “On the subject of taxes, let us not delude ourselves. The only way to return money into the pockets of average Americans is to cut taxes and public spending simultaneously. Throughout the country, citizens want Washington to remove itself from our lives. As President, I will cut income and corporate taxes to allow the private sector to operate without governmental interference.”

KENNEDY: Governor Nixon, on which tax brackets will you reduce the rates?
NIXON: Senator, it makes little sense to cut the taxes of those who do not contribute monies to the federal government each year. But to answer your question, those making between 20-25 thousand dollars per year and those making over 100 thousand dollars per year will be the recipients of my tax cut.”
KENNEDY: “You and I don’t need the tax cut. The people I’ve seen in Indiana, Nebraska, Kansas, those are the ones who need help from the federal government…”
NIXON: “Would I privatize the OEO? Let me say this, it will not survive as an independent agency. Most likely I will, for an organization that encourages residents to protest the programs in place need to be offloaded. What we have done in California is amalgamate all the various agencies into one umbrella organization, the CUDC, and spread various offices around the state. Government should not be in the real-estate business and we have gotten out of it.”

KENNEDY: “In conclusion, vote your conscience.”
NIXON: “My friends, vote for a brighter future for America than we’ve had for the past four years.”

END OF TRANSCRIPT.

 

[DSS]

GO RFK!

Lovin' this TL, Rogue. RFK's gonna have a tough time winning South Carolina, Indiana, and Texas, because of Nixon's Southern Strategy. I can see how he could win Texas, though: By appealing to voters who voted for Lyndon Johnson in '64. Also, because it's Nixon's home state, RFK's gonna have a really tough time winning California. But knowing the Kennedy family, I'm sure he can do it.

 

[RogueBeaver]

Southern Rage: Real or Imagined?

James Reston, Oct. 7

"In recent weeks, we have seen racially motivated murders in Los Angeles, Selma, Oxford, Gary and Lubbock. There is particular attention paid to the state of Alabama, where an interracial couple was lynched last week in Birmingham. The woman has been identified as Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a journalism senior at the University of Alabama. Polls throughout the former Confederacy show support for the Republican ticket between 60 and 70% in the Deep South, and between 55 and 60% in Texas. These numbers translate into over 90% of whites voting Republican, and over 90% of Negroes voting Democratic in the Southern states. This does not augur well for the future..."

“What I propose is a satisfactory resolution of the war in Vietnam and a reduction in the size of government. This Administration has placed the greatest burden of debt to future generations in this country’s history. I pledge to my fellow citizens to correct this grievous error.”

Nixon in Seattle, Oct. 10

“I offer you restored trust in our government, to restore our standing in the world, so tarnished by the war in Vietnam, and most importantly, and to control the inflation that is forcing families to choose between paying the utilities or paying for groceries. No American family should have to make that choice. We are spending billions of dollars in Vietnam, and yet President Johnson refused to allocate $200 million to Head Start or freely distribute food stamps in the Mississippi Delta. That is outrageous, inexcusable, and correcting that will be my first executive order come Inauguration Day.”

Kennedy in Pittsburgh, Oct. 12

“The nation anxiously awaits the second and final Presidential debate, this time in the CBS studios in Los Angeles.”

CBS broadcast, Oct. 21



Kennedy and Nixon awaiting the red light, Oct. 21

“This debate will follow the same format as the previous one, but on foreign policy only.”

KENNEDY: “I believe that the war in Vietnam should be reviewed. We have clearly not accomplished our policy goals, and more lives are being lost every day…”

NIXON: “If I am elected, I will allow General Westmoreland to conduct the war as he sees fit. However, there will be no troop increases without a thorough review of the available options. We cannot fight with one hand tied behind our back.”

“This is a question for Senator Kennedy: Do you still believe, sir, that Americans have the right to donate blood to North Vietnam? Some would see that as near-treason, if not treason outright.”
(BOOS, JEERS)
KENNEDY: “Well, we are allowed to change our minds, and that is what I have done. I firmly oppose that idea, however we should not, in my opinion, legislate any further on that subject.”
NIXON: “I will never support such treasonous activities, and unlike Senator Kennedy, there will be legislation with severe penalties for that offense.


“Moving on to European policy…”

NIXON: We have seen the discontinuation of Britain’s request for Community membership, and though I will not comment on Prime Minister Maudling’s decision to discontinue talks, we should keep in mind that the special relationship does not preclude trade agreements with both Britain and the EEC as a whole.
KENNEDY: Governor, do you agree with President de Gaulle in his assessment that Britain is not a part of Europe?
NIXON: Geographically, Britain is considered part of the European continent. However, as Prime Minister Maudling put it recently: “There should be one country which does not follow a diet of Brussels sprouts.” I agree with him in this regard. So yes, I do agree with General de Gaulle.
KENNEDY: Presumably you disagree with what he said in Montreal last summer.
NIXON: I have only the highest regard for Canada and Canadians, who are one of our most important allies today. There is a division and an air wing in Vietnam fighting alongside us, and President de Gaulle was mistaken in calling for the breakup of Canada last year…”
END OF TRANSCRIPT

“As we enter into the final week of this presidential campaign, the race is still too close to call. If the Democrats lose one of the four swing states, Governor Nixon will win the election.”
ABC broadcast, Oct. 28

POLLING DATA, OCT. 28-30 (Gallup)

NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC: 46%
REPUBLICAN: 45%

UNDECIDED: 9%

ECV PROJECTIONS
REP: 270
DEM: 268

“Been touring frantically throughout Texas and California. I don’t expect to know the results till the following day, if that.”
RFK Diaries, Nov. 4

“This is NBC Election Night coverage. We begin with the polls closing in New England. This is now 8 p.m. Eastern time and the results show Nixon leading in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while Kennedy is heading for a landslide in his native Massachusetts. New York is showing a narrow Democratic lead right now, but this could change as upstate results come into our studio.”

“We can now project that Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are in the Republican column, and Massachusetts is in the Democratic column.”
“Delaware is in the Republican column, while Connecticut is in the Democratic column.”

KENNEDY: 18
NIXON: 15
...
“Our first big states have fallen, New York has voted Democratic thanks to the margins from Manhattan voters, by approximately 110,000 votes. New Jersey has gone Democratic by 30,000 votes…”
KENNEDY: 78
NIXON: 15

“Now we move into the South where we are posed for a Republican landslide. The results are very close in North Carolina, Virginia and Texas but we can project that all other Southern states will go Republican.”

KENNEDY: 128
NIXON: 113
“Now we can project that Illinois has gone Democratic, with the Chicago vote being the deciding factor. Kennedy is leading by only 5,000 votes in Indiana right now, although trends suggest he will ultimately carry the state.”
KENNEDY: 167
NIXON: 113

…
“We are now at the crucial state, California. If Governor Nixon wins his home state, then he will have won the election. If he loses, Senator Kennedy will be our next President. Here are the latest results.”
NIXON: 256
KENNEDY: 242

“Governor Nixon is leading by 85,000 votes, however we have not yet counted the results from Los Angeles County, which is heavily Democratic and decided the primary in Senator Kennedy’s favor back in June.”
“Governor Nixon’s vote lead has dwindled to 20,000 votes…”
“The Republican lead is now down to 1,300 votes. Under California state law, a recount is now possible. This could take over a month to decide, depending on how quickly the courts rule…”

“The results of the American presidential election rest on the state of California, where there is a strong possibility of a recount. This process could take up to a month, and there is no telling who will be the next President…”
BBC broadcast, Nov. 6

“Breaking News: The California State Assembly has ordered a mandatory recount of all ballots cast in Los Angeles County.”

“Here, that would be easily fixed. I pray that Filipino votes were not the deciding factor in possibly putting that boy in the White House.”
President Ferdinand Marcos to U.S. Ambassador Chester Bowles

“It all depends on the court system. I appointed those judges, and let’s see what they have to say.”
Gov. Nixon to Lt. Gov. Ed Reinecke
California Secretary of State Robert Finch, the overseer of the 1968 recount.






“When the recount began, Nixon’s lead was 1,300 votes, but every day that number decreased by approximately 50 votes. Of course, there was also Orange County to consider. That wasn’t in the California Supreme Court mandate, or in the State Assembly’s mandate. Having gone through 1960, it was hardly a surprise to me that Nixon only asked for a recount there.”
My View, Robert Kennedy, 2005

The electoral map as of Nov. 24, 1968

(R) Richard M. Nixon/ George H.W. Bush: 256 EV, 48.8%
(D) Robert F. Kennedy/ Terry Sanford: 242 EV, 48.8%


Incumbent President: Lyndon Johnson (D)

 

[RogueBeaver]

*This post is a bit shorter, BTW.


From: 1968, Year of the Bullet by Doris Kearns Goodwin
“Throughout the second half of the year, there were racially motivated murders throughout the South. On Nov. 28, white vigilantes attacked black neighborhoods in Austin, Birmingham and Raleigh. The southern governors, including Connally and Brewer, were forced to call out their respective National Guards on Nov. 30. There had been an attempt on Robert Kennedy which was foiled at the last minute, successful attempts on Govs. Sanford and Wallace, and of course what happened in December. All of these events occurred before the recount was completed on Dec. 8.”

SANFORD SHOT, KILLED IN RALEIGH

- North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford was assassinated by a white male, whom police suspect is James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King back in April…”

NTSB REPORT, 05/12/68
CVR TRANSCRIPT

LAX TOWER: “California One cleared to land at helipad H3, winds 005 at 10. Caution Pan Am 707 landing runway 24R.
N303Y: “Roger, cleared for landing at H3.
PILOT: EGT rising, we’ve got an engine warning light.
COPILOT: Here’s the engine warning checklist, says to throttle down.
(SHUDDERS, BANG)
PILOT: Can’t control her, looks like a rotor blade went. Mayday, Mayday, California One’s going down!
TOWER: Equipment on the way.
COPILOT: Love you Ma.
LOSS OF ELEC POWER, 12:30:17
END OF RECORDING
DATE: 12/05/68
AIRCRAFT: SIKORSKY 61L HELICOPTER
OPERATOR: STATE OF CALIFORNIA
REG NUMBER: N303Y
ORIGIN: AMBASSADOR HOTEL, LOS ANGELES, CA
DESTINATION: LOS ANGELES INTL (KLAX)
CRASH SITE: APPROX 5 MILES SSE OF KLAX

NIXON, 8 OTHERS DEAD IN LA HELO CRASH, NTSB INVESTIGATING

N303Y departing KLAX on Jan. 3, 1963




“I spoke to the Democratic National Committee, and we agreed on my plan. Thereafter I flew to Washington to meet with my fellow Senators, who were highly skeptical of my plan. There was no other choice, and I still believe that to this day.”
Robert Kennedy interviewed by Larry King, 1993

“They decided to ask the Republican electors to vote for Rockefeller, for I was far too inexperienced to be President at that time. There was no dissent from Albany on that point.”
Fighting for Freedom: George H.W. Bush, 1995

Dec. 8, 1968

“California has completed the recount of its presidential votes…”

KENNEDY ELECTED BY 693 VOTES IN CA

(D): Robert F. Kennedy/George H.W. Bush: 282 EV, 49.3%
(R) Nelson A. Rockefeller/ George H.W. Bush: 256 EV, 49.6%

Incumbent President: Lyndon Johnson (D)
President-elect: Robert Kennedy (D)

“Thereafter, I began forming the transition committee. My decision to ask the Democratic electors to vote for George Bush as Vice President was in the interest of national unity, which we badly needed. I decided on Dillon in Treasury, Max Taylor at the Pentagon, Nick Katzenbach at Justice, and Califano at HEW.”
My View

“Governor Rockefeller,

I hereby resign my New York Senate seat effective immediately.”
Yours sincerely,

Robert F. Kennedy
Dec. 17, 1968

“January 20, 1969: Inauguration Day. Robert Kennedy glanced at President, soon to be former President Johnson, with all the old feelings still present. Hubert Humphrey also looked rather solemn, as did Vice-President-elect Bush. For the first time since 1933, armed Marines surrounded the inaugural stand. He looked at Chief Justice Warren Burger, and raised his hand to become, as of 12 noon, the 37th President of the United States. Thereafter, he proceeded to deliver the most famous inaugural address since Franklin Roosevelt’s first in 1933.”
Robert Kennedy: Benevolent Autocrat, Conrad Black, 2007 p. 479

President Kennedy waving to a well-wisher, Jan. 20, 1969

“… The Republic will endure, as it has endured in past crises that have threatened to overwhelm this great nation… Some see things and ask: why? I see things and ask: “why not?” There is no reason why we cannot tame inflation, a war 13,000 miles away, and poverty at home. We do not merely have rights as citizens; we have responsibilities to our fellow Americans, to our community at large, and to the global community. In recent months, we have seen the lives of two presidential candidates and a vice presidential candidate lost. My own life was nearly ended a few short months ago. I pledge to you to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain to end this cycle of violence… Being American is a source of pride, a badge of honor, and most importantly, a certain mentality, not a mere passport presented at the border or at the airport.”
First Inaugural Address of President Robert Kennedy, 20/01/69

“Seems only yesterday I was campaigning in New York. How time flies.”
RFK Diaries, Jan. 21


Kennedy I Cabinet
Vice President: George Bush
Secretary of the Treasury: Douglas Dillon
Secretary of State: George Ball
Attorney General: Nicholas Katzenbach
Secretary of Defense: Maxwell Taylor
Secretary of H.E.W.: Joseph Califano
Secretary of Labor: Archibald Cox
Secretary of Commerce: George Bush
Postmaster General: Larry O’Brien

Chief of Staff: Fred Dutton
Press Secretary: John Seigenthaler
White House Counsel: Ramsey Clark
National Security Adviser: McGeorge Bundy

 

[RogueBeaver]

Comments, questions? I'm drowning in papers, so don't expect updates for a while. I put Ball in State for lack of a better option, as a nod to Humphrey.

 

[Jaydoh]

Vice President: George Bush
Secretary of the Treasury: Douglas Dillon
Secretary of State: George Ball
Attorney General: Nicholas Katzenbach
Secretary of Defense: Maxwell Taylor
Secretary of H.E.W.: Joseph Califano
Secretary of Labor: Archibald Cox
Secretary of Commerce: George Bush
Postmaster General: Larry O’Brien

Chief of Staff: Fred Dutton
Press Secretary: John Seigenthaler
White House Counsel: Ramsey Clark
National Security Adviser: McGeorge Bundy

Can a vice president be a cabinet member?

 

[RogueBeaver]

In theory yes, but no one's ever done so. Both RFK and James Byrnes were de facto Deputy Presidents while serving in Cabinet though. Functioning as a DPM does here, coordinating, running day-to-day domestic policy, with a major portfolio and influence. Of course, titles mean nothing without power. LBJ learned that the hard way, and that's partly why RFK declined the VP slot in '64.

 

[simonbp]

Did they find a horse's head in the wreckage of California One?

What does the House look like after the 1968 election?

 

[RogueBeaver]

Oops, I forgot. Explain the horse's head though. When RFK is elected, you're going to take a beating in the Southern districts.

House results

Democratic: 233 seats (-15)
Republican: 202 seats

Incumbent Speaker: John McCormack

Senate results

Democratic: 56 seats (-6)
Republican: 44 seats

Incumbent Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-MT)

 

[RogueBeaver]

Campaign Diary. Yes- I read most of them.

 

[RogueBeaver]

The long awaited update has arrived! Don't expect another for a while...


“Not a prison, but rather the command chair. I’m so ruthless you don’t even have a seat yet.”

President Kennedy to Fred Dutton, Jan. 20

“When I entered the Oval Office, the first thing I did, even before reading Johnson’s letter, was signing the executive order for the Mississippi Delta. Only then did I go to a NSC meeting. To tell the truth, I don’t know what was worse: reading false flattery, or my advisors saying that my campaign promises would have to be broken in order to save South Vietnam.”
PP, 533-4

EXECUTIVE ORDER 11477
THE WHITE HOUSE
JAN. 20, 1969

I) By order of the President, the Departments of Agriculture and Health, Education and Welfare are hereby directed to distribute food stamps in the Mississippi Delta free of charge.
II) This order will remain in effect unless otherwise amended.
Signed,

President Robert F. Kennedy



“What Kennedy did was somewhat unprecedented: he called Thieu on the phone to discuss the situation. Unknowingly, Kennedy imitated his nemesis, Lyndon Johnson, in this regard.”

Black, 551

W.H. TAPES, 22/01/69

KENNEDY: “Simply put- what do you need?”
THIEU: “Mr. President, what we need is a commitment from you to defend our country, which I did not hear during the campaign.”

KENNEDY: “I will provide your forces with the necessary equipment, but I will not pour out American blood and treasure if your troops do not pick up the slack. In the final analysis, this is your war. Reports of desertions, mixed unit quality, cronyism, corruption- all these things cause the trouble in the I Corps area.”

THIEU: “Mr. President, when there is not enough equipment of uniform quality; choices have to be made…”

KENNEDY: “What I cannot do is teach your generals how to win battles- that is a major problem. Even if I gave you half our inventory- you need to know how to use it. There will be a phased withdrawal of US forces- that is not negotiable. There will be advisors who will remain, but no more than a few thousand in number. The corruption is taking a major toll, especially in the villages.”
THIEU: “Mr. President- what I need desperately are A-4s, A-7s, and Patton tanks. Equipment wise, apart from jamming devices and refueling equipment, SAM systems as well.”
KENNEDY: “Congress will never approve SAM exports, not in the current situation…”

END OF CONVERSATION


“With the treaty being drafted, I turned my attention to civil rights, which had not gone away in the preceding four years. Seventy percent of Southern black children were in all-black schools, which was inexcusable.”
PP, 545

“What began to come to the forefront with the Supreme Court ruling were questions about Kennedy’s own Boston, specifically Mayor Hicks’ continuing refusal to desegregate the Boston schoolsystem. Those questions irritated the President to no end, and he consulted his brother Ted and Governor Sargent following his January 30 press conference.”

W.H. TAPES, 30/01/69
KENNEDY: “Governor, if you have to use the Guard, by all means do so, but try the state police first.”
SARGENT: “Mr. President, she is absolutely intransigent on the matter- refuses even to consider the possibility. Apparently she acts like a dictator. There’s a lot of support for her among the working Irish- as you well know.”
KENNEDY: “I don’t give a damn what she says about anyone, including myself. The law is being broken and you have the power to remedy the situation. I will not have the Army roll into Boston because of that bitch! Have them escorted with state police if necessary- and get the state Supremes involved. Nick will coordinate with your AG.”
SARGENT: “Mr. President, I will do it, but there will be riots.”
KENNEDY: “There are contingency plans for riots, Governor- but I don’t want another Little Rock.”
SARGENT: “Yes sir.”
END OF TAPE

“There will be a Little Rock if I have anything to say about it- and if I have to challenge the President’s brother in the primary to do so, so be it.”
Boston Mayor Louise Day Hicks, Feb. 1969

HICKS VOWS DEFIANCE “AS LONG AS I HAVE BREATH”



“Today, Massachusetts Governor Francis Sargent ordered the Massachusetts State Police to enforce integration of the Boston school system. Right now, there are riots in the city as the Boston police have refused to quell the protests against busing. Foremost among the protestors are radical Catholics who have firebombed former President Kennedy’s birthplace, among other things. The State Police have taken over the investigation due to the intransigence of the municipal force.”
NBC report, Feb. 3



“I campaigned on ending poverty, and now we have a hometown uprising on my hands. On the bright side, they’ll get a reminder of just how ruthless I am.”
President Kennedy to Ken O’Donnell

SARGENT DEPLOYS GUARD, RIOTS SUBDUED FOR TIME BEING

“Now that I’ve finished my housecleaning, let’s work on the economy.”

President Kennedy to Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon



“What I propose is that the program be run by the states and local communities. A Washington bureaucrat, no matter how well intentioned, cannot be aware of specific communal needs. That is why I have sent the legislation in regards to OEO and Head Start to the House, and expect a vote within the week.”

President Kennedy’s press conference, Feb. 15

“I will throttle the next person who calls it privatization. The media is intentionally ignoring that this is federalism, pure and simple.”

RFK Diaries, 15/02/69

BEAM ME DOWN BOBBY: GREAT SOCIETY DOWNLOADED, 294-144 IN HOUSE, 89-11 IN SENATE


W.H. TAPES, 03/01/69

NOVELLO: “Mr. President, President Marcos on 1.”
KENNEDY: “Thank you Angie.”
KENNEDY: “Mr. President, nice to hear from you, and thanks for your letter.”
MARCOS: “I wanted to express my appreciation, for you truly understand the plight of what we call the masa. However, what I want to discuss is Vietnam. I cannot justify our contribution if there is to be an impending withdrawal. President Park is in the same boat in this regard.”
KENNEDY: “There will still be US troops stationed in the country- but in a pure advisory capacity of no more than a division.”

MARCOS: “Of course, my re-election campaign is coming up. Not that I’m paying much attention- there’s such little talent over there. What concerns both of us is the economy…”

END OF TAPE

PRESIDENT KENNEDY PLANS MIDEAST TRIP- SENIOR ADMIN OFFICIAL


“All this press is getting to me. That’s why this was off the record- so I don’t see my name in print again.”

RFK Diaries, 10/03/69

 

[RogueBeaver]

Bump. Comments, questions?

 

[Aero]

Very interesting timeline, RogueBeaver.

I love the dilemma right before the election when Nixon and Sanford were killed. A Kennedy/Bush administration will be very interesting.

 

[RogueBeaver]

A Harvard and a Yalie- wait for football season. Keep an eye on Bush, Boston and Saigon... They can have an interesting relationship...

 

[glenn67]

Bump. Looking forward to more.