StrategyGirl
Banned
Kennedy, honestly, though I think the victory margin would be way less than with LBJ.
I'd add Ralph Yarborough as well, though I believe he was up for re-election at the time.
Wildly popular, pro-civil rights, and something of a Prairie populist.
Smathers I'd agree on, but I think Sanford just isn't high profile enough to make the grade.
The reason I wouldn't personally go for Yarborough is that snubbing LBJ and chosing Yarborough may cause a riot in the Texas Democratic Party. Dumping LBJ would be bad enough, but chosing a Texas rival in his place may be a bit too much for some people. Yaroborough was never particularly popular with the party establishment in Texas to begin with.
Johnson was from the Connally conservative wing right?
Goldwater wins narrowly.