WI:Kennedy loses the nomination to LBJ

What if Jack Kennedy loses the Democratic primaries to LBJ who later faces of against Nixon?
Would LBJ be able to be able to defeat Nixon?

How would they feel about facing off against each other (considering LBJ was Senate majority leader and Nixon was veep)? Also how would this effect Kennedy's political career? Would he be able to run for president again?
 
LBJ's chances, IMHO, were equal to JFK's if not slightly greater as LBJ was a dirty politician and Nixon didn't become the Nixon that was undone by Watergate until after his loss in 1960 OTL. If Nixon does win in 60 TTL, I could see JFK getting the nod in '64.
 
LBJ's chances, IMHO, were equal to JFK's if not slightly greater as LBJ was a dirty politician and Nixon didn't become the Nixon that was undone by Watergate until after his loss in 1960 OTL. If Nixon does win in 60 TTL, I could see JFK getting the nod in '64.

New Deal Coalition Retained. That's the TL that tackles exactly this.
 
What if Jack Kennedy loses the Democratic primaries to LBJ who later faces of against Nixon?

LBJ did nor enter--and was very unlikely to enter--the primaries. LBJ would officially explain he was too busy with his duties as Majority Leader to run in the primaries. His strategy was to wait for a deadlocked convention, which never came.

Even if it had, refusing to nominate JFK after he swept the primaries could alienate a lot of Catholic voters, who would conclude that the party leadership had rejected him because of his religion. (Which would not be far off, though Harry Truman, who supported Symington, remarked, "It isn't the Pope that worries me--it's the Pop.")
 
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