What if JFK survived but was brain damaged?

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Proposed timeline: JFK survives but is brain damaged

This supposes Oswald was a lone gunman & evrything on November 22, 1963 proceeds exactly as before except a butterfly moves the previosly fatal bullet by millimeters - so that the President survives, but with severe brain damage. Here is what I have so far:
November 22, 1963: while riding in a motorcade in Dallas President John F. Kennedy is struck twice by sniper fire. One bullet goes through the back of the President's neck and exits his throat. Another shot grazes the President's skull. Surgeons manage to save the President, but due to bone fragments in the head wound, swelling and a loss of brain matter there is significant brain damage. The only statement released by White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger states only that the President came out of surgery and was "resting." There is otherwise a news blackout on the President's condition. Attempts by Vice President Johnson to get information on the President's condition are rebuffed by the hospital as they indicate the First Lady is overwhelmed and deferring all decision making to her father-in-law former Ambassodor Kennedy and the President's brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested by Dallas Police and charged with the murder of a Police Officer Tippet. The District Attorney indicates Oswald is also a suspect in the shooting of the President and Governor John Connelly who was also wounded that day.

Despite assurances from the Soviet Union that they had no involvment with the attempt on the President, Secretary of Defense MacNamara places all United States miltary forces on alert, but indicates he cannot call up Reserves without a Presidential order. The Soviets respond by increasing there alert status.

On November 23rd Vice President Johnson returns to Washington D.C. with plans to contact members of the cabinet to have them meet him at the White House to discuss what they should announce the President's condition . He first calls Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to ask how he would legally assume authority as "Acting" President. The Attorney General informs him that he has "no such authority," and any attempt to assume it would be considered a coup. He tells Johnson not to even think of going to the White House, or contacting other cabinet members. RFK then orders FBI Director Hooover not to share any part of the investigation with the Vice President.

By November 24th the press and other governement officials are asking questions, but not getting answers on the President's status, and who is in charge. Nothing has broken in the media, but in the upper levels of government people are lining up behind either LBJ or RFK. Informal discussions begin on whether Congress will need to pass some sort of legislation or even submit a Constitutional Amendment to deal with the situation. The CIA reports the Soviet Union is making concerning noises about Berlin and Castro has put Cuban forces on a war footing. The President is awake, but not responsive to questions.

That same day Oswald is transferred from the Dallas Police station where he was held to the County jail without incident. Jack Ruby a local strip club owner is overheard to remark that had he actually killed the President he (Ruby) would have made Oswald pay right then and there. FBI Director Hoover reports to RFK that the Texas officials are not willing to turn Oswald over the Federal authorities. The Attorney General could likely get a Federal Court order, but is reluctant to risk it given the way the Vice President, and Governor Connelly (who is recovering and backing LBJ in his dispute with RFK) have publicly stated no federal crime was committed and theywould let the Texas criminal justice sytem take its course. Oswald as yet is still only charged with the murder of Officer Tippett. The press is making much of Oswald's connections to the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Hoover tells the Attorney General that although the Soviets likely had nothing to do with what happened "it was a good bet that Castro did this" in retaliation for the CIA attempts to kill him. Hoover says CIA director John McCone is"not forthcoming with information." McCone, a Republican appointd by JFK, is keeping distance from RFK and LBJ as he sees little basis for either to act in the President's stead.
What do you think?
 
First of all, Joe Kennedy had been a vegetable himself since 1961, so all decision-making would fall on RFK. As for the rest, I can only call nonsense. For all their mutual antagonism, LBJ and RFK always put their constitutional and legal obligations first and did so IOTL during the assassination. Congress would have to declare the president incapacitated- no Wilson repeat, and LBJ assumes the presidency.
 
Congress would have to declare the president incapacitated- no Wilson repeat, and LBJ assumes the presidency.

Under what provision of the Constitution? The Twenty-Fifth Amendment wasn't even proposed until 1965; all the Constitution then says is,
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death,
Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said
Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may
by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability,
both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then
act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the
Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
- without ever saying who shall determine such "inability."
 
That was the method proposed when Wilson was incapacitated 44 years earlier, so I assume it would be the same. Perhaps a SCOTUS referral, but JFK has to leave office- you cannot have a vegetable leading the free world.
 
Under what provision of the Constitution? The Twenty-Fifth Amendment wasn't even proposed until 1965; all the Constitution then says is,
- without ever saying who shall determine such "inability."

well if he can't talk then he is quite obviously unable to act as president
 
Joe was still alert

Joe had lost the power of speech but was still alert in 63. Despite the Wilson precedent there was no mechanism to replace a disabled President until the 25th amendment passed after the JFK was killed.
 
I think that in this scenario, the US government is treading in uncharted waters. There is literally nothing official on the books about what to do here. As a result, the United States has a massive constitutional crisis on its hands and would need an immediate action by Congress to resolve. If Congress hesitates, there could be very dire results indeed.

LBJ still likely ends up in power, but the situation in the meantime is chaotic.


Although it would be an unpopular option, would it be possible to impeach Kennedy to transfer power to LBJ?
 
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Possible. RFK is going to be consulting all the top constitutional experts, and before any solution is decided they might seek an advisory ruling from SCOTUS to be absolutely safe.
 
Afraid not. What is the premise?

The narrator is a brain-damaged JFK who has been reduced to the intelligence of a small child by the attack in Dallas. After the attack, he is hidden within the Hyannis Complex away from the public eye, but you don't find out most of this until the very end, when it becomes very apparent.

Of course, 'Uncle Teddy' dies in 2008 rather than 2009, and a number of other Kennedy family members and associates are introduced in rather simplified names. RogueBeaver would be better suited to identifying them.
 
The narrator is a brain-damaged JFK who has been reduced to the intelligence of a small child by the attack in Dallas. After the attack, he is hidden within the Hyannis Complex away from the public eye, but you don't find out most of this until the very end, when it becomes very apparent.

Of course, 'Uncle Teddy' dies in 2008 rather than 2009, and a number of other Kennedy family members and associates are introduced in rather simplified names. RogueBeaver would be better suited to identifying them.

I don't have the short story, but if you give me the names I'll see what I can do.
 
I don't have the short story, but if you give me the names I'll see what I can do.

Well from what I can gather:


Sonny/Sonny Boy - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Uncle Teddy - Edward Kennedy
Mother - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
Dr. Armbruster - Unknown
Unnamed Beautiful Women - Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy
Men in Black - Secret Service
Dr. Morelande - Unknown
Bobby - Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy
Lyndon - Lyndon Johnson



Thought there were more characters than that. :/

Anyway, I only can not identify the doctors, and they may or may not have anything to do with the family.



I think I found the short story, or at least part of it.

That's it.
 
The Drs. were either Travell, Burkley, Kraus or Max... his name escapes me but he was a quack who among other things prescribed amphetamines and marijuana to JFK. The famous "I don't care if it's horse piss, it works" stems from that. Since I don't have the story itself I cannot ID more people for you.
 
I will refer you to Nicholas DiChario’s “The Winterberry”, which is about this very subject. It is a very haunting story to be honest, and it gave me chills once I fully realized who the story was about.
 

Eurofed

Banned
I think that in this scenario, the US government is treading in uncharted waters. There is literally nothing official on the books about what to do here. As a result, the United States has a massive constitutional crisis on its hands and would need an immediate action by Congress to resolve. If Congress hesitates, there could be very dire results indeed.

LBJ still likely ends up in power, but the situation in the meantime is chaotic.


Although it would be an unpopular option, would it be possible to impeach Kennedy to transfer power to LBJ?

Technically speaking, how swiftly can the 25h Amendment be ratified ? I know that it would never be fast enough to settle the crisis in the first place, but after something like this, I think the Congress and the states would do the fastest ratification ever.
 
Article III

Possible. RFK is going to be consulting all the top constitutional experts, and before any solution is decided they might seek an advisory ruling from SCOTUS to be absolutely safe.
SCOTUS is constitutionally prohibited from giving an advisory opinion, as Art II requires a "case or controversy." Congress would have to pass legislation before they could rule on the constitutionality of any fix.
 
The narrator is a brain-damaged JFK who has been reduced to the intelligence of a small child by the attack in Dallas. After the attack, he is hidden within the Hyannis Complex away from the public eye, but you don't find out most of this until the very end, when it becomes very apparent.

Of course, 'Uncle Teddy' dies in 2008 rather than 2009, and a number of other Kennedy family members and associates are introduced in rather simplified names. RogueBeaver would be better suited to identifying them.

They establish that four people knew about the Presidents true condition. His mother, Rose, and his two brothers, Rob and Ted, and the family doctor. I remember a part where "Jack" asks Uncle Teddy why Uncle Robby wasn't with him, and Uncle Teddy (with some tears) said that they wouldn't see Uncle Rob for a long time.

His wife it is implied, was never told.
 
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