An interesting POD for the Civil Rights era, I think, would be George Wallace winning the 1958 Democratic Gubernatorial primary in Alabama rather than losing, as he did IOTL. Wallace ran in 1958 with the support of the NAACP against a candidate supported by the Klan; he was considered a moderate-to-liberal on racial issues and was 'downright pink' when it came to fiscal issues. After his loss and the famous line about not being outdone again on segregation, Wallace switched positions and became a hardcore segregationist that we all know from OTL. (He later recanted in the 1970s and won elections in Alabama with a biracial coalition of voters, IOTL as well)
WI Wallace doesn't lose in 1958? What if he wins the primary, and serves as Governor from 1959 to 1963? Alabama Governors were limited to one term (they could serve non-consecutively, as Wallace did four times) at the time, so he can't run again in 1962. Where does ATL Wallace go from here? What changes, politically? Could a more liberal Wallace be an ATL equivalent to Jimmy Carter? (Or probably better, Wallace was a shrewder politician, after all)
WI Wallace doesn't lose in 1958? What if he wins the primary, and serves as Governor from 1959 to 1963? Alabama Governors were limited to one term (they could serve non-consecutively, as Wallace did four times) at the time, so he can't run again in 1962. Where does ATL Wallace go from here? What changes, politically? Could a more liberal Wallace be an ATL equivalent to Jimmy Carter? (Or probably better, Wallace was a shrewder politician, after all)