MLK not assassinated in 1968, runs for president in 1988.

  • Thread starter Deleted member 1487
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Deleted member 1487

IOTL Jesse Jackson, a member of MLK's circle, ran for president in 1988 and had gained a lot of his political power from his work with MLK. What if MLK hadn't been assassinated and lived, still remaining the major voice for racial and economic justice within the black community and over the years formed enough of a movement to run for president instead of Jesse in 1988? What would happen?
 
Even if he was not assassinated surviving to 1988 is tough.

His autopsy showed he had the heart of a much older man and it is likely he would have died sometime in the 70's or 80's and certainly would not have been healthy enough to run in 1988.
 
As others say, getting him to survive alone is a great task.

If he does though - where does he fit in? Oddly enough, I could see him grouped in with the more moderate members of the Moral Majority - Billy Graham and the like who also campaigned against poverty and the like.
 

Deleted member 1487

Fair enough, but does anyone have a source? Also MLK was a lot more left economically than the so-called "Moral Majority", though probably not particularly socially progressive in terms of gay rights or even women's rights due to the religious influence.
 
He would likely be viewed in a more negative light. People like Jesse Jackson and their ilk are thoroughly reviled by the right. The only reason people universally like MLK is because:

1.) he got assassinated/matryed
2.) the US education system has presented a very sanitized perspective on his politics. Several generations of youths have only learned about him giving the "I Have a Dream Speech" and fighting for equal rights. They don't get to learn about his more "controversial" stances, namely his harsh anti-Americanism in regards to the Vietnam War and his leftist economic stances.
 
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