WI Humphrey wins in 1968?

I think it is posssible. The Agnew crimes coming out in the weeks before the election would do it. Of course Nixon's undermining of the Peace talks coming out would REALLY CHANGE THINGS.

1) What happens about Vietnam?

2) Can he be re-elected. Nixon won by a lot in otl on Peace and Prosperity. The same things might go for Humphrey. Maybe Republicans go for Reagan. I think it is possible that in such an election Reagan's performance woudl mirror that of Goldwater (minus his home state)

any thoughts?
 
Hello. I'm planning on doing a timeline of this in the near future so I'll try to answer these questions now. To elect Humphrey, he needs a few things to happen:
1. Come out against Vietnam earlier than September. Johnson was unpopular so he really couldn't destroy Humphrey. Maybe Texas but everywhere else would go Humphrey. Also this would probably soften the convention in Chicago. It still happens but not as bad. Maybe only about 4 injuries.
2. Have Agnews crimes revealed.
3. Maybe have Nixon sabotage in Vietnam revealed. Maybe because on one hand, that's treason, but on the other an announcement like that would probably start a massive riot. Think all the riots in the year combined in one nightmarish action.
4. Have Johnson stop the bombing earlier and try to make it easy for Humphrey to end it as president.
All this leads to a Humphrey win. It would be very narrow though. Smaller than Nixon but more than Humphrey in OTL.
Now to answer the other questions:
1. Vietnam I think he stops the bombing and try's to negotiate peace. I think the war ends only slightly earlier.
2. I don't think Humphrey could win re election because of party fatigue (12 years and 20 years previous with only one Republican in the mix.) I think he continues the great society and civil rights hurts Humphrey and gives a conservative like Reagan a shot to win. Maybe Humphrey wins if the war is ended and the economy booms but it won't be a landslide by any stretch. I'm not sure when Humphrey was diagnosed with cancer so that may play in if it was around this time. Maybe Edmund Muskie runs. Those are my thoughts.
 
2. I don't think Humphrey could win re election because of party fatigue (12 years and 20 years previous with only one Republican in the mix.) I think he continues the great society and civil rights hurts Humphrey and gives a conservative like Reagan a shot to win. Maybe Humphrey wins if the war is ended and the economy booms but it won't be a landslide by any stretch.


And only if the country isn't still heated up about busing. Is there any way for HHH to defuse that one?
 
I'm surprised more timelines aren't done on this. It was a close election, and there are several obvious events, mostly not under Humprey's control, that could have swung things the other way. The Peace Talks sabotage becoming public seems to be a favorite of the Campaign Trail creators.
 
How would he conduct the war differently

You’d see the war end a few years earlier. This means that fewer Americans die in a hopeless quagmire, which strikes me as a good thing, and it also means that Vietnam falls a few years earlier.

What becomes of internal party reform?

It still happens, as the 1968 DNC would have still been seen as horrible. The difference is that 1972 would be little more than a confirmation of Humphrey’s candidacy, and 1976 would be the one where a brand-new party system is in action.
 
Nixon’s Law and Order rhetoric really appealed to those who wanted to see the civil rights movement, women’s liberation, and anti-war movement ‘put in their place.’

Even if it leaked to the press that Nixon was going to sabotage the peace talks to win the election, I’m doubtful that it’ll affect the outcome of the election, since the people outraged probably wouldn’t be voting for him anyway, and a lot of people on the right would see it as Nixon trying to make sure that the US won the war.
 
To give my response, I believe in our timeline Humphrey was opposed to busing. I think Humphrey would try to pass some bills to outlaw it but few would be passed due to opposition. One or two might but heavily altered. I also think that the sabotage does affect things. In 1968, it was a time of severe political turmoil. Most people were pleased with the economy it was really the war and civil rights that divided the country. Humphrey opposing the war as I said earlier on and being a civil rights hero with support of the great society, he would get some crucial help with a reveal.
 
Also, I think helping Humphrey would be if Wallace decided to attack Nixon more than him. Wallace drew away blue-collar union voters in crucial states like Michigan and Wallace going after law and order Nixon more than union Humphrey would help dramatically.
 
Hello. I'm going to start a timeline about the presidency of Humphrey within the next few days. In it, I'll try to explain some of the issues in the timeline. Hope you'll like it.
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
Nixon’s Law and Order rhetoric really appealed to those who wanted to see the civil rights movement, women’s liberation, and anti-war movement ‘put in their place.’

Even if it leaked to the press that Nixon was going to sabotage the peace talks to win the election, I’m doubtful that it’ll affect the outcome of the election, since the people outraged probably wouldn’t be voting for him anyway, and a lot of people on the right would see it as Nixon trying to make sure that the US won the war.

Well those voters still have a choice besides Nixon, that's Wallace.

Also, I think since this was a time of party realignment, voters on the right side of the spectrum were not as well-trained as they became after the Reagan years.
 
One really interesting detail about this scenario -- even if he only serves one term, President Humphrey now has the chance to appoint at least three justices to the Supreme Court; depending on whether William O Douglas retires earlier and how Abe Fortas plays out, it can be as many as five, while his Republican successor gets to appoint between one and three (since Lewis Powell will likely retire earlier).

The result is the Supreme Court is considerably more liberal for longer, changing a number of key decisions.
 
As @John Fredrick Parker said, if HHH wins, even if he only serves one term, Humphrey will get at least three Supreme Court appointments, which means the Court stays Liberal until at least the '80s. The Great Society is probably expanded through 69 and 70 and the Vietnam war probably ends before 1973, although relations with China most likely aren't opened. The 1970 midterms certainly see strong Republican gains and one (most likely the Senate as all the Senators elected on LBJ's coattails in 64 are up for re election) or both houses of Congress. I also think the economy would be weaker than OTL, as Nixon did everything in his power to prop it up to secure a second term. Humphrey doesn't seem like the type capable of doing that, so I imagine a President Rockefeller, Reagan, or Romney is elected in 1972.
 
Top