LBJ in '60

[DuQuense]

Given how hard it is to come up with something new around here, I can't believe this one hasn't been done.
But I searched back to 2004 and didn't find it.

During the 1960 Campaign season the Democrats had a choice in the Primaries between Lydon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy.
Most Political Analysts and Commentator's, thought that LBJ would win.

But at the Convention JFK pulled out a very Narrow Victory over LBJ.
Then to Balance the Ticket, and to Unite the Party after the narrowness of the Victory, JFK choice LBJ as the VP.

?But WI? The convention had gone the other way. ........LBJ wins.
The same considerations of Balance and Unity apply,
LBJ offers the VP slot to Kennedy and He accepts.

Lets assume that Daley pulls it out in Chicago, and other thing are equal ......... LBJ Wins in Novembre.

?How does Johnson deal with the Crisis's of the '60's?

 

[Electric Monk]

a) Nobody, including LBJ, thought LBJ would win. He ran because he wanted to be President, he accepted the VP slot (a job he knew he would hate) because he proved conclusively that even Senate Majority Leader isn't enough to get a Southerner to the top of the ticket. Therefore he figured perhaps as VP he might have a shot at being President one day.

b) Kennedy picked LBJ to carry Texas and to help in the South—it wasn't about party unity.

c) LBJ winning at the convention is very unlikely, and even if he did Nixon would probably beat him in the general election (Northern blacks would swing to the Republicans).

d) LBJ would probably not offer the VP slot to Kennedy. Humphrey is more likely, as are a few other people.


Assuming, in the highly implausible scenario that LBJ becomes President in 1960 (seriously, it would be more plausible to kill Kennedy in December of 1960 than for LBJ to win on his own) I can't see him doing that well.

LBJ was a great Congressional figure, he was a horrible President and his notable victories as President were purely congressional in nature (civil rights & the Great Society)… IOTL that balanced out, and no Viet Nam could have meant LBJ goes down well in the history books on legislation alone. But as a personality running the United States? He was a bloody nightmare—listened to much to the generals, insecure, had no idea how to use the office of the Presidency to rally support, and so forth.

I have no idea what happens but the Cuban Missile Crisis is probably averted, some of the Great Society might get passed, civil rights is unlikely, Viet Nam is iffy (depends on the situation—at some point from 1950 to 1965 or so the American President would have to make an "in or out" decision and everybody put it off until LBJ IOTL went in based on what he thought was JFK's wishes), and LBJ wins in 1964 against Goldwater but likely loses against Rockefeller.