General Discussion

WillyT

(72,631 posts) Thu Feb 19, 2015, 08:07 PM Feb 2015

If Bobby Kennedy Had Not Been Assassinated, Do You Think He Would Have Beat Nixon In 1968 ??? [View all]

Saying he won at the convention of course...

There's no way of knowing, but the mood of the electorate was probably shaken by the events of 1968.

Tet Offensive

LBJ refusing a second term

MLK assassinated

RFK assassinated

The fighting, both inside and outside, the Democratic Convention in Chicago...

We talk a lot about "Reagan Democrats"...

Sometimes I wonder if we should be talking Nixon Democrats.

We went safe and comfortable with Humphrey...

And lost... the passion and energy had been snuffed out for many.

And then there was George Wallace... whose running-mate was Curtis LeMay (I did not know that)

Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1968

What do you guys think?

36 replies

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If Bobby Kennedy Had Not Been Assassinated, Do You Think He Would Have Beat Nixon In 1968 ??? [View all] WillyT Feb 2015 OP

No doubt in my mind madokie Feb 2015 #1

Yes Kingofalldems Feb 2015 #2

Yes (nt) bigwillq Feb 2015 #3

Presuming Wallace still runs , yes DemocratSinceBirth Feb 2015 #4

I disagree about "Nixon getting all the Wallace votes" Art_from_Ark Feb 2015 #13

1968 election-i'm rounding off DemocratSinceBirth Feb 2015 #21

Let me tell you about the 1968 election results in Arkansas Art_from_Ark Feb 2015 #30

Yes. n/t winter is coming Feb 2015 #5

He might have. Jackpine Radical Feb 2015 #6

I was 11 at the time. MicaelS Feb 2015 #7

If Bobby had lived and secured the nomination hifiguy Feb 2015 #9

Don't forget Eugene McCarthy . . . markpkessinger Feb 2015 #22

Never. But RFK had the peace creds AND the Kennedy magic hifiguy Feb 2015 #23

LBJ did some truly great things . . . markpkessinger Feb 2015 #19

Without a doubt. hifiguy Feb 2015 #8

Yes. My mother, an old-style Republican, planned to vote for him. raging moderate Feb 2015 #10

Undoubtedly. Gman Feb 2015 #11

Absolutely, yes. whathehell Feb 2015 #12

No alcina Feb 2015 #14

Alcina read my mind olddots Feb 2015 #15

Don't worry, olddots alcina Feb 2015 #20

Yet another conspiracy? longship Feb 2015 #27

Nixon Cheated to win in 68... it would've been harder with JFK alive uponit7771 Feb 2015 #16

He may have. I wish the SDS hadn't disrupted in Chicago OKNancy Feb 2015 #17

What should have SDS done? Sat it out? Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2015 #36

Yeah, I think maybe he would have. blue neen Feb 2015 #18

Yes I've always believed he would have defeated Nixon. emulatorloo Feb 2015 #24

yes HockeyMom Feb 2015 #25

I wish. Dont call me Shirley Feb 2015 #26

Perhaps? fredamae Feb 2015 #28

yes, nobody liked nixon. spanone Feb 2015 #29

Most definitely. People were still so distraught from the JFK horrific day... onecent Feb 2015 #31

No possible way of knowing. Only conjecture. n/t cherokeeprogressive Feb 2015 #32

If they had left him on the ballot Kelvin Mace Feb 2015 #33

I think he would have. jwirr Feb 2015 #34

Yes. n/t GP6971 Feb 2015 #35