John F. Kennedy Dies of Addison's Disease Without Warning

What is the legacy of President Kennedy if instead of dying in his first term from assassination, does so from a sudden complication of Addison's Disease which takes his life without much warning? How does the American public react to this deception?
 
Depends when he dies. IF he dies about the time he did OTL, then he has the legacy of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Bill. The public is angry over being deceived.
 
President Kennedy dies from a sudden complication of Addison's Disease.
How does the American public react to this deception?

Would it be classed as deception? I believe the Democratic political machine, would spin this by saying that "JFK's illness did not affect his ability to govern the country, especially through the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his health did not make him anymore likely to die in office then any other candidate."

Does this affect LBJ's chance at election? Depends how the Republican's challenge him.
Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York
Senator Margaret Chase Smith from Maine
Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., from Massachusetts
Former Vice President Nixon
 
It's going to make Lyndon Johnson's job attempting to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 much more difficult, in our timeline he had Kennedy's death to utilise. Here it's natural causes which whilst sad aren't going to see the same outpourings of grief as an assassination and as Paul mentioned there are going to be some that are actually upset that he kept it quiet.
 

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Would it be classed as deception? I believe the Democratic political machine, would spin this by saying that "JFK's illness did not affect his ability to govern the country, especially through the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his health did not make him anymore likely to die in office then any other candidate."

Does this affect LBJ's chance at election? Depends how the Republican's challenge him.
Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York
Senator Margaret Chase Smith from Maine
Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., from Massachusetts
Former Vice President Nixon

Unless Goldwater straight up ridicules JFK during his death (which given Goldwater's personality is unlikely), Goldwater would be likely to still emerge as the front runner. Rockefeller was too liberal for a large section of the party to pallet by 1964, Smith was a woman who faced only an uphill battle against the chauvinistic Party Establishment, and Nixon would still want to keep a low profile to lick his wounds and recuperate. Lodge would be an interesting choice, and would likely be able to pull a larger popular vote than Goldwater, but Johnson would pull through.

Kennedy would be remembered as a tragic progressive who was cut down before his time by illness, although won't be considered as notable in ITTL given how undramatic his death is. The mixed response many had towards him would not evaporate. Johnson picks up where Kennedy left off and pushes the CRA through with brute force (though with more difficulty than IoTL).
 
Maybe, Maybe Not

Unless Goldwater straight up ridicules JFK during his death (which given Goldwater's personality is unlikely), Goldwater would be likely to still emerge as the front runner. Rockefeller was too liberal for a large section of the party to pallet by 1964, Smith was a woman who faced only an uphill battle against the chauvinistic Party Establishment, and Nixon would still want to keep a low profile to lick his wounds and recuperate. Lodge would be an interesting choice, and would likely be able to pull a larger popular vote than Goldwater, but Johnson would pull through.

Kennedy would be remembered as a tragic progressive who was cut down before his time by illness, although won't be considered as notable in ITTL given how undramatic his death is. The mixed response many had towards him would not evaporate. Johnson picks up where Kennedy left off and pushes the CRA through with brute force (though with more difficulty than IoTL).

Without the Bloody Shirt to wave, Johnson might be less willing to force Civil Rights through Congress. He would still try for the Great Society, that being in his bones. And while still a dirty campaigner, Goldwater (I agree with the analysis which places him as the nominee) would do much better(absent that same Bloody Shirt.)
 
Without the Bloody Shirt to wave, Johnson might be less willing to force Civil Rights through Congress. He would still try for the Great Society, that being in his bones. And while still a dirty campaigner, Goldwater (I agree with the analysis which places him as the nominee) would do much better(absent that same Bloody Shirt.)

I think that Johnson may pass some executive orders to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments if his attempts at legislative civil rights fail.
 
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