2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: In 1980, did Ted Kennedy endorse Jimmy Carter? [View all]Chathamization
(1,638 posts)Both RFK and LBJ seemed to see RFK's entry into the race as being in opposition to LBJ, and that's the way most historians, commentators, politicians, etc. frame it. That's the way RFK framed it in his announcement, and that's the way Johnson spoke of it. When even Johnson's chief of staff thought he was going to continue on (early 1968, per your article), it seems unlikely that RFK knew Johnson wasn't. There doesn't even seem to be a consensus on when the decision was made and why. Maybe there were rumors going around saying that it was a possibility, maybe not. If there were, they couldn't have been that strong considering many people, even those with their own networks, were surprised by his announcement.
Either way, "It's possible that at some point RFK heard some rumors about LBJ possibly not seeking a second term" (arguable, but who knows) is quite different from "RFK wasn't running against an incumbent when he entered the race." Looking at the bulk of the evidence, and the words of both men, shows that he was.