Who do you see RFK ITTL picking as his run-
ning mate? That might make a difference.
(I think he would have just HAD to pick someone from the LBJ wing of the Demo-
crats to ensure party harmony but that might not have gone over very well with anti- Vietnam war voters)
There’s several options for RFK:
Terry Sanford, a Southerner who was pro-integration/civil rights with a lot of education experience and was a supporter of both Kennedy’s. I think JFK contemplated having him as his running mate in 1960 or 1964 iirc. Probably the most likely pick for RFK in 1968.
Ralph Yarborough, a progressive Texan Senator who although was waning in popularity in his increasingly conservative home state was still very well admired and one of the few southern senators who voted in favor of civil rights. His presence on the ticket wouldn’t give RFK Texas, but it would balance it out well.
Ed Muskie, very popular in Maine but he wasn’t as much of a Vietnam dove as Kennedy would have liked. However he’s a good choice if Kennedy wants to appease the Humphrey crowd. He would of surely have earned Maine’s votes for kennedy, but TBH Maine is not an incredibly important state for an election.
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, a veteran and national hero, and a good friend to Bobby Kennedy, whom Kennedy had much admiration for. Although he has limited political experience, John Glenn would be my choice if I were Bobby, as he is incredibly well known and gets along very well with Kennedy. His presence on the ticket would give Kennedy a nationwide boost in votes, especially in Ohio, which is very important in any election.
If you want to ensure party unity, letting the Humphrey-approved Muskie be on the ticket is a good idea. But Kennedy would be more comfortable with someone he trusted and agreed with being his VP than someone from the Johnson/Humphrey camp (Johnson absolutely hated Bobby so I’m sure he’d give him a hard time). So Sanford, Yarborough, and Glenn are the best picks in my eyes. Sanford would be the most likely, but Glenn would be a better choice imo. So either one of those two are good.