WI: JFK wasn't assassinated?

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Not a conspiracy theory. I simply would like to know what would happen if JFK hadn't been assassinated. Like say Oswald missed his shot or the sun seriously damaged his aim or somesuch. I've been very interested in this since reading Stephen King's 11/22/63. Now, the novel posits that by 2011, the world be a complete mess. King said he had multiple scenarios, but that was pretty much the worst case scenario. I myself am not sure if things would turn out that badly, so I'd like some feedback on this. What would happen? Would Vietnam not be escalated? Would Civil Rights still be passed? What would idelogical balance be in the 2 parties? Would Nixon's "Southern Strategy" become a moot point?

And by the way, sorry if this has been talked about before, just wanted to start up the conversation.


(Damn it, I might've posted on the wrong forum now and I can't delete this.)
 
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It is heavily implied in the book that the world is an utter mess because Jake Epping has made the time stream unstable. It's not Kennedy but rather reality itself screwing everyone over.
 
Vietnam would still be escalated by Kennedy. Civil Rights would probably not be passed, Kennedy lacked Johnson's connections and commitment.
 
Kennedy beats Goldwater after a cordial campaign, but Goldwater does better. Governor Reagan wins in 1968 in a landslide. Reagan ends the Vietnam War, and passes a very different Civil Rights bill. No Great Society means different-if any-basic minimum income proposals. Prague Spring is a campaign issue in 1968.
 
Kennedy may not live out his first term and is almost certain not to live out his second, his health problems were bad but well covered up, few know he was one of our most sickly Presidents
 
He would certainly have a more friendly congress in 1965 but would have the same success getting legislation passed? cCould the big civil rights bill pass in 1964? Kennedy and Goldwater stage town hall debates does that set a precedent.
 
There's a few areas of consensus among Kennedy experts on this forum:

-Kennedy beats Goldwater by a slightly slimmer margin than Johnson did in 1964.
-He declares a "War on Poverty" during the 1964 campaign (we know he was planning on doing this). He ties this with a strong pitch to middle class voters, especially Catholics ("at what income does someone become a Republican?"). His campaign slogan would be "Peace and Prosperity."
-Johnson remains on the ticket, despite the frustration of JFK's staff.
-After winning reelection he would have the political capital to pass the Civil Rights Act, the tax cut, health care for the elderly, and aid to education. It's unlikely that he's able to get anywhere near the volume of legislation passed that Johnson did, but he'll make a strong effort on these areas in particular.
-As far as Vietnam, it appears likely that Kennedy did not plan on escalating the war effort (Dalek and Reeves both make this claim). He'll push for greater support for the South Vietnamese government and military, and slowly withdraw advisers. The wild card is whether he sends in troops if ARVN is getting crushed, of if he holds back.
-There will be continued talks with the Soviet Union over missile reduction, and relations between the two will be stronger. Kennedy also appeared to be moving towards a policy of detente with Cuba. He also a Europhile.
-In 1968, Johnson is the likely Democratic nominee. The Republicans will probably still nominate Nixon, simply due to a lack of other candidates with the ability to unite the party's left and right flanks. Wallace still runs as well. It will be a very close election that is largely dependent on the level of social disorder at the time. If the race riots still occur, and the counter culture still challenges social norms as much as they did in OTL, than Nixon stands a very good chance to win. If not, than Johnson has to be the favorite.
 
Kennedy beats Goldwater after a cordial campaign, but Goldwater does better. Governor Reagan wins in 1968 in a landslide. Reagan ends the Vietnam War, and passes a very different Civil Rights bill. No Great Society means different-if any-basic minimum income proposals. Prague Spring is a campaign issue in 1968.

Reagan was a creature of the backlash against campus and social unrest. Very possible that a surviving JFK tamps down this unrest somewhat and Reagan never gets off the ground in '66, as Pat Brown was still a formidable figure in California. And the idea that Reagan was a cinch in '68 underestimates the formidable skills of one Richard M. Nixon, who might well have been the nominee in 1968 regardless of whether JFK lived or not. Unlike Al Gore, who moved on from politics after a close loss, Nixon never did. Head to head against Reagan for the GOP nomination, Nixon wanted it more. And sometimes that makes all the difference. Plus, if Prague Spring really is a campaign issue, who better to exploit it than Nixon? Reagan was a foreign policy novice.
 
Reagan was a creature of the backlash against campus and social unrest. Very possible that a surviving JFK tamps down this unrest somewhat and Reagan never gets off the ground in '66, as Pat Brown was still a formidable figure in California. And the idea that Reagan was a cinch in '68 underestimates the formidable skills of one Richard M. Nixon, who might well have been the nominee in 1968 regardless of whether JFK lived or not. Unlike Al Gore, who moved on from politics after a close loss, Nixon never did. Head to head against Reagan for the GOP nomination, Nixon wanted it more. And sometimes that makes all the difference. Plus, if Prague Spring really is a campaign issue, who better to exploit it than Nixon? Reagan was a foreign policy novice.

My idea was predicated on the assumption that the conservative wing of the GOP is stronger due to a much better Goldwater performance in 1964. Thus, we have the potential still for Reagan for governor in 1966 and president in 1968. THis is particularly true if Kennedy does not push for civil rights, but still bogs the country down in Vietnam.

There's a few areas of consensus among Kennedy experts on this forum:

[snip]
I will never quite get the turkophilia nor the Kennedyphilia of this board.
 
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