Plausibility of JFK/Goldwater vs Nixon/Dole vs Johnson/Humprhey 1964 election

I'm in the process of writing an AH that describes what America (and the world) would look like in the aftermath of this election. POD is JFK lives and the Dems take an even harder stance against Civil Rights but keep most of their leftist rethoric and strong interventionist foreign policy. The GOP starts leaning to the Rockafeller faction to the alienation of the Taft Conservatives. This JFK/Goldwater ticket stresses civil rights, Economic Conservatism, and moderate foreign policy (though maintaing Kennedy's Cold Warrior stances)
 
That scenario is completely ASB. As for "leftist rhetoric": Kennedy's economic policy, as Scott Brown reminded us recently, involved supply-side tax cuts. He was arguably to Rocky's right on economics, and Rocky criticized Kennedy for appointing "segregationist judges" to the Federal bench in the South.

Goldwater is a libertarian (the basis for his opposition to the Civil Rights Act, not racism from the man who desegregated the Arizona Guard) neoliberal before either of those terms were coined. Bob Dole was an unknown congressman in 1963. Richard Nixon was far too savvy to embark on a kamikaze mission against Kennedy in '64. Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey were Populist/New Dealer Democrats, well within the Democratic mainstream, and were fervently pro-CR.
 
Kennedy is the third party canidate. He left the Dems in this scenerio. Maybe the question I should have asked is the plausiblity of JFK and Goldwater forming their own party.
 
Kennedy is the third party canidate. He left the Dems in this scenerio. Maybe the question I should have asked is the plausiblity of JFK and Goldwater forming their own party.

Kennedy leaving is:
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Why would a sitting President, loyal to his party and leader of the party and in an era when party loyalty was high, leave to form his own party?


Goldwater leaving to form a Conservative party is closer to reality.
 
If Goldwater leads a Conservative Party, how can I forment an event to divest both the GOP and the Democrats of their conservative elements and at a future point JFK joins in. This would eventually be the party of Reagan, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Zell Miller.
 
That whole scenario is irretrievably ASB- none of the well-known pols of the 1960s would quit their party. All want to be President, and there's not a chance in hell they'll throw it away in a pout. Particularly Richard Nixon, who knew he had one last throw of the dice before it would be three strikes ('60, '62...) and out of presidential politics forever.

P.S.: The Kennedys being Republicans or Nixon as a Democrat are not ASB scenarios in themselves: but that requires a pre-WWII POD which is clearly not your OP.
 
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Your PS has me thinking. Nixon as a Democrat with John and Bobby as GOP (Teddy stays Dem). That would be intriguing. The ultimate outcome I'm looking for is a three party America with the three parties looking like this


A Democrat Party as it is today/a bit further to the left

A Republican Party firmly in the Rockafeller mold that would include McCain, Romney, Jindal, Olympia Snow, Joe Liberman, and the Bushes

A Conservative Third Party in the Goldwater/Reagan mold which would include Ron Paul, Mitch Daniels, Zell Miller: Economically Libertarian/Socially Conservative with significant libertarian leanings, and a noninterventionist foreign policy and adhering to the Christian Just War Doctrine
 
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