LBJ becomes president in '67

John F Kennedy had a number of ailments that almost got him killed even before he was running for president. Had he not been shot, there's a good chance of him dying later the decade anyway. Let's imagine Oswald misses(if you want to ASB it, have a time traveler wait for him so they can also show he's guilty of attempted murder). Him winning against Goldwater's almost a given, and let's ass. Instead, JFK succumbs to his Addison's Disease exactly four years after his OTL assassination on November 22 1967.

Despite their differences, Kennedy felt Johnson was still the best running mate choice and kept him. Now we have LBJ president right before the election year, and they end up picking him. There are a few things I'm wondering about this scenario
* How is Kennedy's legacy affected with 4 more years as president? Not just what he did with 4 more years, but how he died in this scenario? They did a lot to cover up his illnesses, what are they supposed to do when the supposed picture of youth and health suddenly drops dead?
* Would LBJ get elected on his own right? How would said presidency change now that it's been moved in time?
* What would be the impact on the other Kennedy boys, with their brother dying naturally four years later?
 
I’m not at our sure we prevent a similar Vietnam war.

Once we decided that Ho Chi Minh was unacceptable and to support the South Vietnam government, even supporting a coup against Diem to get a better government, a lot of it seems hardwired in.
 
I’m not at our sure we prevent a similar Vietnam war.

Once we decided that Ho Chi Minh was unacceptable and to support the South Vietnam government, even supporting a coup against Diem to get a better government, a lot of it seems hardwired in.
I don't know. I agree Kennedy would have maintained some commitment to South Vietnam. But I don't think he would have bought the strategy of massive intervention, esp. in his final four years, even if South Vietnam collapsed. Maybe more airpower; maybe a division a-la-Pusan. But 500,000 troops? That was nuts. Kennedy made the hard calls in Cuban Missile Crisis. He would have felt more confident than LBJ (who really lacked international experience in 1964) rejecting full intervention.

Kennedy'd have a tougher time getting Civil Rights 1964 and 1965 passed unless he had a lot of help from (and better relationship with) LBJ. If LBJ had done that; and Kennedy died in 1967, then he'd have been good through 1972. But remember - Robert Caro writes a lot about this - LBJ had a bad heart, he had a heart attack in 195x. His father and grandfather died young. LBJ died in January 1973.

So then - who is LBJs VP in 1968? Because that VP is also likely (LBJ's heart) to get promoted.

So back to the questions. Would RFK have remained attorney general for 8 years? Well if he wanted to run for President, he'd have had to run for something before hand - so maybe he'd have run for NY Senate in 1965 anyway. Setting up a 1968 bid. But that would disappear if LBJ became President a year before election. Or would it? How would Johnson's one year go? Would their still be riots?

Nobody primaried LBJ in 1964 because he did such an outstanding job of taking over for a murdered president. But if the president died of natural causes, LBJ might not have had such profound acceptance of his legitimacy. Then a Senator Bobby Kennedy might have primaried him in 1968.
 
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