WI: MLK survives an assassination attempt

Rex Mundi

Banned
America was turning right during that time period. The right wingers hated King and then they turned their fury on Jackson. Now they hate Obama. Different people, same color many of the same ideas. So if King had lived a longer life he would have picked up more and more hate.

Obama isn't really comparable to Jackson or King, though. He's a mainstream moderate president whose policies don't deviate from the standard fare; he doesn't have any personal beliefs or convictions that he wouldn't be willing to compromise. He's a liberal to the extent that he needed to appear very slightly left of center to win his election.
 
Another good question is where he would've stood on Roe v Wade. Frankly, I think his thoughts have been hijacked and obscured so much by partisans that it's up for grabs.

Given most of his OTL family is vehemently opposed to abortion, I'd wager he would be too - I can only imagine his reaction to the sexual revolution or 70s drug culture. Needless to say, he'd hardly be wholly revered by the left or right.

People of your ideological persuasion, including Ronald Reagan, who proclaimed that King's assassination was King's fault for disturbing law and order. After King was long dead, he would sign MLK Jr. Day into law in '83, although John McCain, Chuck Grassley, and Richard Shelby voted against it. If King stays alive, he continues to be a divisive figure, hated upon many constituencies.

Sure, Jesse Jackson has a large ego. However, that doesn't invalidate the causes he fights for, and most of the attacks on him are recycled attacks against King (although they have more merit). And of course, Jackson will never be the #1 black enemy, King will remain in that position, so of course he'll be attacked.

Televangelism was all about increasing influence politically and making a lot of money doing it.

An interesting template for King may be Cornel West, another Christian socialist. However, West is personally a bit more Jackson than King IMO.

I don't think the Libertarians had much of an opinion on the Reverand Doctor ;)

As mentioned above, as a social conservative and devoutly religious, he's harldy be a leftist icon either.

As for the hate for Jackson transfering to King... I can't see it. I can't see Reverand Doctor King using group funds to buy himself mansions, pad his bank account, pay off mistresses, making repeated anti-Semetic statement, splintering the greater Civil Rights coalition to push his own agenda, or use MLK's death to promote himself. Reverand Doctor King is an icon cut down before his prime. Reverans Jackson is a self-serving jackass who's done more damage than good in nearly anything he's ever worked for.

As for greater Christian activity, I could see the Reverand King, Cornell West and a few others actually getting involved with the Moral Majority like Jerry Falwell and the like, which largely formed as a backlash to 60s/70s counterculture - the result may be they form a third party, akin to the Christian Democrats in Europe, as opposed to becoming a wing of the Republican party. Now THAT would be interesting to see.

Also, I was anyone else aware that James Earl Ray briefly tried to make a living as a porn director in Mexico, and tried immigrating to Rhodesia - both might make good PODs.
 

Stolengood

Banned
I disagree. Nixon won on the back of the anti-war vote and was substantively to the left of Kennedy.
That is bull; Nixon won because the Democrats were unorganized for most of the year and because he campaigned on a "Law and Order/Peace with Honor" buzzword platform.

Also, he betrayed his country, which at least Kennedy never did.
 
Osakadave said:
he'd certainly live long enough to see the Poor People's Campaign through, for better or for worse.
That could have major butterflies for economic justice. Would it be enough to move the government away from tax breaks for capital gains & such? Is his continued survival enough to lead to a broadening of support (if not aims) to poor whites?

It does do one thing I'd regret: it makes this speech, given 3 April 1968, just another speech...
Martin Luther King said:
"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.

And I don't mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.

And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything I'm not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!"
 
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