Stevenson/Kennedy 56

JoeMulk

Banned
Could a Stevenson/Kennedy ticket have narrowed the election at all? I mean Kennedy might have helped the ticket in the northeast.
 
If JFK won that nomination, the loss would have been blamed in part on Kennedy's Catholicism. I know that's as absurd as it sounds, but that's how the Democratic bosses, many of whom were Catholic themselves, saw it. His 1960 chances are harmed, not helped by being on a ticket with a perennial loser.
 
JfK said it himself that it was a good thing he did not get the VP nomination in 56. If he got it. He would have had a very difficult time winning in 60. The thing is that I can't see any one else beating him for the nomination in 60. LBJ was from the South. Humphrey did not have the money. Stevenson did not want the job. But either way I think that means Nixon wins in 60. Then JFK is a two time loser and out of it.
 
JfK said it himself that it was a good thing he did not get the VP nomination in 56. If he got it. He would have had a very difficult time winning in 60. The thing is that I can't see any one else beating him for the nomination in 60. LBJ was from the South. Humphrey did not have the money. Stevenson did not want the job. But either way I think that means Nixon wins in 60. Then JFK is a two time loser and out of it.


Not necessarily. Nixon still ran a worse campaign (50-state instead of battlegrounds ferex) than Kennedy, though butterflies could prevent that. A bit of unnecessary baggage, but JFK is by far and away the best Democratic candidate in 1960.
 
I agree RB. JFK was the best the democrats had in 60. Nixon would have got a better idea what he was up against with JFK running as VP in 56. So instead of Bobby spending time studying Stevenson in 56. He would have been with his brother instead. Also Nixon may not have made the two biggest errors of the campaign. 1. Lodge has VP. 2. 50 state plan. The 60 election was such a close race anything could have changed it. Just imagine if Gore had picked Bob Kerrey instead of Lieberman in 00? ( sorry I get off topic) Nebraska may have went Democratic out of home town loyality and won the election for him. So JFK loses in 56, I can see Nixon beating him in 60. So that butterflies LBJ his chance. So in 1968 you have HHH vs. Rocky, or Reagan, or even Goldwater?
 
I agree RB. JFK was the best the democrats had in 60. Nixon would have got a better idea what he was up against with JFK running as VP in 56. So instead of Bobby spending time studying Stevenson in 56. He would have been with his brother instead. Also Nixon may not have made the two biggest errors of the campaign. 1. Lodge has VP. 2. 50 state plan. The 60 election was such a close race anything could have changed it. Just imagine if Gore had picked Bob Kerrey instead of Lieberman in 00? ( sorry I get off topic) Nebraska may have went Democratic out of home town loyality and won the election for him. So JFK loses in 56, I can see Nixon beating him in 60. So that butterflies LBJ his chance. So in 1968 you have HHH vs. Rocky, or Reagan, or even Goldwater?

It wasn't Nixon's lack of familiarity with JFK or the Kennedys generally that was the problem: they had known each other for their entire political careers and had a good personal relationship until their ambitions collided. The cordiality vanished but not the respect- except for Ted, whom Nixon liked but had zero respect for.

'68: Goldwater most likely. With Nixon as an incumbent in 1964, Reagan will not make the speech that launched his political career IOTL, and therefore not enter politics. Rocky is always too liberal for the base.
 
I don't think anyone was going to beat Ike in '56 -- or even come close -- unless he had a major health crisis in the midst of the campaign. I also tend to think that RB is right that Kennedy's Catholicism might have been blamed in part for the loss, making a run in '60 a bit more difficult. This is especially true since there were no candidate debates in that race that might have given Kennedy a chance to shine head-to-head with Nixon and dissipate the religion issue somewhat. And, as Duke4 notes, JFK himself felt that losing the VP slot was a blessing in disguise.
 
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