Who would have been the 1968 democratic nominee if RFK had lived?

[Tropics_Dude83]

I have no idea but it's an interesting question to say the least.

Who would have won the '68 convention? Humphrey or Kennedy?

I wasn't alive and I haven't researched it so I don't know. This is an post trying to learn something. Thanks!

[wundermaus]

1. RFK all the way... it would have been a different, wonderful world.

[msongs]

2. humphrey...nt

[WillyT]

3. RFK

No doubt.

[acrosstheuniverse]

4. Kennedy

Certainly Robert Kennedy.

[Tropics_Dude83]

6. Didn't Humphrey have some pretty major establishment support though? n/t

[H2O Man]

18. Sure.

But RFK did, too. He had the mayors, like Daley. And he had an organization that was stronger than what Humphrey had. The VP was relying on LBJ's influence, and the truth is that LBJ was parochial. He had connections from the House and Senate, but not a true national machine.

When RFK died, the strange fact is that a large number of Kennedy democrats didn't support the party's candidate. Humphrey waited a month too long before putting any distance between himself and the LBJ policy in Vietnam. So the young people rejected him -- think of the Chicago Convention -- and lots of older folks voted for, of all people, Wallace.

Robert was behind, even after the California primary. But he had the energy, and he was picking up steam. He would have won the nomination, in the opinion of some of the people who were closely involved and had objective views of the primaries.

[bluerum]

5. RFK. Humphrey had no chance - as was demonstrated.

[rusty quoin]

7. My parents were for RFK.

In fact my dad..his 9 brothers..their wives..the ..my mom's 2 sisters..their husbands..their friends..but that was in Massachusetts.

[AllentownJake]

8. RFK

and Nixon would have gone down in flames to another Kennedy.

[JeffR]

9. RFK, but it wouldn't have been a romp.

The party was deeply divided that year, and electability arguments were heated. Sounds a little familiar, come to think of it.

[NJSecularist]

10. RFK would have won the nomination.

He may even have won the election against Nixon. He certainly would have given us a better chance than Humphrey.

[acrosstheuniverse]

12. No doubt he would...

Hell even Humphrey came very very close to beating him.

[Tropics_Dude83]

13. Very true and remember Nixon/Humphrey popular vote was 43-43%

Humphrey nearly won after Johnson's vietnam moves in the final week.

Today was particularly moving. There was an HBO documentary called "From the earth to the moon" that I watched last year that aweakened me to just how bad 1968 is.

King and Kennedy are truly one of the more remarkable people of the 20th century. Today was a day of reflection certainly.

[NJSecularist]

15. He lost the electoral college 301-191

Although the popular vote was close, the electoral college was not.

I'm convinced that RFK would have won California and New Jersey. Nixon only won both of those states by a few percentage points. RFK could have flipped CA and NJ and held Humphrey's states to give him the election.

[sam sarrha]

11. RFK, .. that is why the ReThugs murdered him.. all the evidence was destroyed in weeks.. the 3

"Extra" bullets the lone assassin didn't fire were cut out of the wall, door and door frame with chain saws that night by the LAPD.. destroyed and denied they ever existed

[Tropics_Dude83]

14. Interesting-I wouldn't put that past Nixon n/t

[democrattotheend]

16. I thought he had pretty much wrapped up the nomination the night he was shot

Wasn't he shot right after winning the California primary and clinching the nomination?

[Upton]

17. RFK no question

[Historic NY]

19. RFK would have won even after entering the primaries late......

he was building a sweeping voice for change and the end to the Vietnam war.