what would happen if JFK is not murdered

[JohnFKennedy]

old fogey

[dunn]

tell me about it.......i am into the big crisis (will be 40 in 8 month or so)

[JohnFKennedy]

lol, look on the bright side, mid-life crisises are always fun!!! at least they seem that way on tv, go buy a ferrrari!!! Better yet, buy ME a ferrari

[dunn]

lol

[dunn]

lol

I just bought the frarri but it's a left side wheel. have to keep it  lol

[JohnFKennedy]

you could mail it to me bit by bit

[dunn]

done

[JohnFKennedy]

excellent, please say not by e-mail tho.....

[dunn]

excellent, please say not by e-mail tho.....

fed-ex  

[JohnFKennedy]

oh good

[PBrunsel]

PBrunsel's "What if JFK Lived" Part I

Goldwater and Reagan Administrations

In 1964, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson are re-nominated in Atlantic City. In San Francisco, California, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan are nominated by the Republicans. Goldwater runs a campaign that is seen as radical, but Reagan is able to use his charm and humor to take people’s attention away from the bluffs. In Moscow, Nikita Khrushchev becomes scared of Goldwater. He publicly announces that he endorses Kennedy. Nikita thought that this was a way to show a “bridge of peace” between the superpowers. It turned out to be a backlash against the Kennedy campaign. Goldwater said, “Vote Kennedy, the choice of Nikita!” Three debates took place. Kennedy won all but one. That one he lost by a narrow margin. It looked like Kennedy would clean up, until Mary Catharine Exner came out to tell the press of her affair with Kennedy. When other women told the same thing, Kennedy plummeted in the polls. On election night, November 3rd, 1964, Goldwater was sure of victory. In the end, Goldwater defeated Kennedy with 316 electoral votes to 222 for Kennedy. Goldwater took office in 1965. He appointed Richard Nixon Secretary of State. Goldwater dropped the atomic bomb on Hanoi, North Vietnam, and won the Vietnam War. He also used Cuban rebels to overthrow Fidel Castro. He disguised American planes as Panamanian planes and gave the rebels air support. Castro lost the support of the people and left office to flee to the Soviet Union. In 1966, the Republicans took control of Congress. Goldwater privatized Social Security and public schools. He also was able to pass through a major tax cut and nearly ended the business tax. Despite ending the war in Vietnam, Goldwater invaded Cambodia to stop Pol Pot. U.S. troops, led by Colonel Colin Powell, were able to take many communist strong holds, but still the war raged on. In 1968, with a booming economy and foreign policy successes, Goldwater looked forward to a powerful victory for reelection. Pol Pot was captured by American forces and put on trial for the slaughter of millions of innocent Cambodians during his civil war.

In June, the Democrats nominated Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Maryland Senator R. Sergeant Shriver to oppose the popular Goldwater. George Wallace ran his own independent campaign aimed at attacking intellectuals and giving power to the working man. Wallace chose General Curtis E. LeMay for vice president. Goldwater painted Kennedy as a left wing extremist, and Kennedy was able to make that picture come true. He said things like, “It is time the minorities had a chance to rule this country.” Kennedy debated Goldwater and Wallace, but he only increased his picture as a left wing extremist by calling for a massive social program called, “The Great Society.” On election night, Goldwater swamped Kennedy and Wallace. Goldwater won 322 electoral votes to 162 for Kennedy and 54 for Wallace. Goldwater’s second term was peaceful. He became the first president to enter the Kremlin in 1970 and the first president to go to China in 1971. He built bridges to red China and the USSR, but still kept his ardent anti-Communism. He built up the armed forces, and was able to balance the budget by doing away with all social programs.

In 1972, the Republicans were assured victory. Vice President Ronald Reagan, Secretary of State Richard Nixon, and Senator Paul McCloskey all ran for the GOP nomination. The Democratic choices were Maine Senator Edmund Muskey, former presidential candidate and New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey, South Dakota Senator George McGovern, and Alabama Governor George Wallace. Reagan won the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primarily handily, and was assured the nomination when Goldwater backed him. The Democrats were divided between Muskey and Kennedy. In the end, Muskey’s victory in the California primary gave him a slight edge over Kennedy. In Miami, Florida, in June, the Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan for President and Kansas Senator Robert (Bob) Dole for Vice- President. In New York City, the Democrats nominated Edmund Muskey for President and Edward (Teddy) Kennedy for Vice-President. Reagan led in the polls by a large margin (70 points at one time) the whole campaign. He used his charisma to sell his conservative ideas. The Goldwater revolution was spreading all over the country. The Muskey-Kennedy ticket was too liberal for 1972 America, and they paid at the polls. On Election Night, Reagan-Dole won a major victory in both the popular and electoral vote. Reagan won 441 electoral votes to 96 for Muskey (Libertarian Joseph Hospers won 1 electoral vote from Virginia). Ronald Reagan proclaimed, “Its morning again in America,” and lowered taxes still even more. In 1971, Reagan and his Conservative Supreme Court refused Roe v. Wade and then Reagan went on to support an amendment banning abortion. In 1972, the 23rd Amendment outlawed abortion forever. With the stock market still booming and low taxes stirring business, Reagan’s first term was looked upon as a success. In 1970, John F. Kennedy became Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times, and became a respected member of society once again.

In 1976, Reagan and Dole were shoo- ins for reelection, so many Democrats chose no to run. These included Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, former President John F. Kennedy, Governor George Wallace, and Texas Senator Lloyd Benson. The Democrats who did run were Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Minnesota Senator Walter F. Mondale, Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, and North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford. Mondale won the Iowa Caucus by a narrow margin over Kennedy, but Kennedy defeated the whole lot of Democrats in New Hampshire. The Democratic Primary became a mudslinging, negative campaign that splintered the Democratic Party. Governor Sanford cleaned up on the first southern Super Tuesday. He won Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. He soon had to drop out due to a lack of money. In the end, Kennedy and Mondale went on to slam away at each other. After Kennedy won an upset victory in Michigan, Mondale was ruined. In June, the divided Democrats nominated Edward Kennedy for president and Walter Mondale for vice president. The divided Democrats had to do some major work to unite their own party. When an anti-tax cut plank was defeated by eh DNC, Eugene McCarthy left the convention. In Minneapolis, the American Liberal Party was formed. It nominated Eugene McCarthy for President and R. Sergeant Shriver for Vice-President. In August, Reagan and Dole were re-nominated by acclamation. The 1976 campaign was the worst the Democrats ever entered. Their divided party was forced to make desperate attacks on the very successful Goldwater and Reagan years. Americans rejected their ideas. The three debates went in favor of Reagan. On election night, Reagan won the biggest landslide in American political history. He won every state but Washington, D.C. He even won Kennedy’s own Massachusetts. Reagan won 535 electoral votes to Kennedy’s 3. Reagan also won 63% of the popular vote, as opposed to 31% for Kennedy, and 5% for McCarthy. Reagan’s second term was major arms build up. The build up bankrupted the Soviet Union, and in 1979 it collapsed. When the new independent Russia was formed, former presidents Kennedy, Goldwater, and President Reagan visited its new president Milchael Gorbechev. In 1980, Ronald Reagan appointed Robert Bork Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Reagan also outlawed gay marriage with the Protection of Marriage Act and legalized prayer ion school with the School Prayer Act. In 1979, Iranian students over ran the U.S. Embassy. Regan told the Ayatollah Hominy that he would send marines in to rescue the marines unless he released them. Hominy said that he would kill one hostage a day if Reagan sent marines. Reagan told the Ayatollah Hominy that he would kill 1,000 Iranians for every one hostage killed. The Iranians became scared and freed the hostages in less than 100 days. In 1980, Reagan was widely seen as one of America’s greatest presidents.

[PBrunsel]

The Dole Administration: Part II

The Dole Administration began with a steady drop in jobs. A recession hit the U.S. in 1982. The Democrats saw there chance to retake Congress for the first time since 1962. When unemployment hit 3.6%, the American people turned on Dole. The “Dole Recession”, as the Democrats called it, was caused by the huge prosperity from 1966- 1981. The Stock Market speculation of the 1920’s came back and business was barely regulated. With high unemployment and inflation, the Democratic Party took control of Congress. President Dole now had to fight to keep Goldwater’s and Reagan’s Conservative measures working. When the Democrats tried to raise taxes, Dole coined the phrase, “tax and spend liberal.” When House Speaker Tip O’Neil tried to repeal the School Prayer Act, Dole tagged Democrats as un-Christian. The constant barrage of insults on the Democrats led Dole to rise in the polls. In January of 1984, the recession was all but over. Dole looked forward to a second term as president with a GOP controlled Congress.

In 1984, the Democrats couldn’t find one Democrat who wanted to run for president. Finally, Governor George Wallace entered the race, and then Texas Senator Lloyd Benson. In March of 1983, Senator Gary Hart of Colorado entered. Dole passed a raise in the minimum wage and put labor on his side. The Iowa Caucus went to Wallace, but Hart won New Hampshire. The Wallace War Chest was overflowing, and Wallace won the remainder of the primaries by large margins. In June 1984, the Democrats nominated Governor George Wallace for President and Senator Gary Hart for Vice President. Wallace’s campaign came crashing down when he was shot while campaigning in Maryland. Wallace was unable to debate Dole in 1984, so in return he lost the election by a wide margin. Dole won 395 electoral votes to Wallace’s 143. Wallace won several Southern states, but he lost New England and New York due to his anti-Civil Rights stance. Dole’s second term was full of prosperity. His biggest problem occurred when the Nicaraguan Rebels, or Contras, were fighting against the Communists. Dole, with the backing of the Republican Congress, sent weapons to fight in Nicaragua. In 1987, Dole had to send U.S. Air Craft men to fight in Nicaragua. The revolution ended in victory for the U.S. and Nicaraguan Contras. In 1988, Dole was happy to leave office. “Being ‘The Most Powerful Man on Earth’ is a job that one gets sick of, surprisingly, in eight years,” Dole joked with the Chicago Tribune.

[PBrunsel]

The Crane Administration: Part III

In 1988, the Republicans had a choice between Vice President Phillip H. Crane of Pennsylvania, Reverend Pat Robertson of Virginia, Representative jack Kemp of New York, Secretary of State Alexander Haig, former Secretary of the Treasury Chris Simon of California, and Pete Du Pointe of Arizona. With the backing of Dole and Reagan, Crane scored big victories in the primaries. Jack Kemp won several New England and Southwestern victories, and Robertson won the Washington, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia primaries. The Democrats had the choices of Texas Senator Lloyd Benson, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, Tennessee Senator Albert A. Gore, Jr., Colorado Senator Gary Hart, and Californian Governor Jerry Brown. Lloyd Bentsen and Al Gore were the major competitors. After Bentsen won Iowa and New Hampshire, all but Gore dropped out. Gore hanged in until Bentsen won the Tennessee Primary, then Gore knew it was time to get out. In July, the Republicans nominated Philip H. Crane for President and Jack Kemp for Vice President. The Democrats nominated Lloyd Bentsen for President and Missouri Representative Richard “Dick” Gephardt for Vice President. In Arizona, 79-year old Barry Goldwater decided to run for Governor of Arizona. The Presidential election hinged on the growing deficit and the crisis in the Middle East. Crane defended the Goldwater, Reagan, and Dole record. Bentsen said that he would raise taxes only on the rich to pay off the national debt. Texas Representative Ronald E. Paul ran as a Libertarian in 1988. His conservative views appealed to those conservatives angry over the moderate Republican team of Crane-Kemp. Paul was able to attend one debate, he was able to score 17% in the polls, but by October 30th, 1988, the momentum was gone. Many Republicans chose to stick with a candidate who had a chance of winning. Bentsen ran far behind Crane in the polls, and failed to gain any significant momentum from his debate wins. On Election Day, Crane won 333 electoral votes to Bentsen’s 205. Crane won 53% of the popular vote to Bentsen’s 39% and Paul’s 7%. Goldwater won the Arizona Governorship with 76% of the vote.

Crane’s first term went relatively easy it’s first two years. Secretary of State George H.W. Bush was able to persuade Crane to ask Congress for a flag burning ban. The Republican Congress passed the Flag Burning Ban Act of 1990 by a wide margin. In 1991, Crane sent U.S. Troops to fight Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Operation Desert Strom was a success for the United States. Despite these patriotic victories, recession was back. People began to lose their jobs. When all seemed lost, Secretary of Commerce Patrick J. Buchanan told Crane to pass a major tax cut. The tax cut cut the taxes of 96% of Americans. The tax cut gave money back to Americans, and they began to buy things again. By 1992, the economy was on the right track again. Crane would need all the help he could get in 1992; his Democratic opponent would be a tough one to beat.

The Democratic Party had been out of power for 27 years in 1992. The Democrats running for president in 1992 were Arkansas Governor William J. “Bill” Clinton, Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, Iowan Senator Tom Harkin, and Missouri Representative and former Vice Presidential Candidate Dick Gephardt. Harkin won the Iowa Caucus, but Tsongas won the New Hampshire Primary. Clinton appealed to young voters and more moderate Democrats. Clinton’s War Chest was overflowing with cash, and he went on to win the important South Carolina Primary and Florida Primary by sizeable margins. By the end of the primary season, Clinton had the nomination in his pocket. The Republicans had there hands full with Patrick Buchanan. Crane had fired him from his cabinet in early 1992, and he wanted Crane’s job. Buchanan went on to challenge Crane in New Hampshire, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, Utah, Wyoming, and Minnesota. Buchanan won the Virginia, South Carolina, and Arkansas Primaries in 1992. Crane finally silenced him by offering Buchanan the position of Secretary of State. With 231 delegates, Buchanan dropped out of the race in May 1992. In June, the Democrats nominated Bill Clinton for President and Albert Gore for Vice President. In July, Crane and Kemp were nominated by acclamation by the Republicans. Billionaire oil man Henry Ross Perot ran for president as an independent. Perot chose Colorado Congressman Pat Choate as his Vice President. The polls showed Clinton creaming Crane. Perot somehow had 20-25% in the polls the whole election. Perot appealed to those angry at both major parties. In October 1992, Clinton’s campaign fell down in a mess. Arkansas State House intern Jessica Flowers told CNN that she had had an affair with Clinton. This piece of information turned voter’s against Clinton. Due to their being no Watergate, people still had much trust in the Presidency, and they did not want a liar and adulterer to fill that position. Clinton was bombarded with questions about his affairs in the debates. He bombed all three of the debates and that cost him the election. The November 3rd, 1992, election showed that voters still trusted Republicans after 27 years in office. Crane won 45% of the popular vote and323 electoral votes. Clinton won 39% of the vote and 215 electoral votes. Perot won no electoral votes but an impressive 15% of the popular vote. Crane was able to win the states of New York and Ohio due to Jack Kemp’s New York background and the anger in Ohio over Clinton’s infidelity.

Crane’s second term was an eventful one economically. The economy rose very high, and the first surplus since 1978 was produced. NAFTA passed through the Republican Congress with ease and Georgian Newt Gingrich was appointed Speaker of the House. The biggest problem Crane faces is that there is a problem in Bosnia. Crane sends U.S. forces to make peace between the Russians and the Bosnians. The presents of U.S. troops scares the Russians and they evacuate Bosnia. In 1995, the People’s Republic of China collapses under the heel of SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organization), and a new Democracy is established.

[PBrunsel]

The Kemp Administration: Part IIII

In 1994, Jacqueline Kennedy died of cancer in New York City. Despite the affairs that had been revealed by the press in 1964, Jackie Kennedy stayed with John Kennedy. John Kennedy was crushed and fell into a dark depression. The funeral of Jacqueline Kennedy was attended by such dignitaries as President Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, President Crane, Vice- President Jack Kemp, the Reverend Billy Graham, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and the Kennedy Family of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and the rest. “Forever the United States will remember Jacqueline Kennedy as a woman who brought to the White House the grace an elegance that is still is alive in the corridors of the executive mansion,” President Goldwater stated in his speech at the ceremony. Goldwater and Kennedy had become good friends since 1964. They were frequently seen playing golf in Tucson, Arizona or Hyannis Port.

In 1996, the popularity of the Republican Party is enormous. The Democrats are out of power and yearning for control of the government to waste U.S. tax dollars on welfare again. The Republicans also have the problem of a large deficit compiled by the massive arms build up from the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Goldwater, and Reagan years. The 1996 Election would prove to be a landslide in favor of the Republicans in any account. The Republican heir apparent was Vice-President Jack Kemp. In 1992, Kemp was opposed by Ambassador Alan Keyes of Maryland and Editor of Forbes Magazine Steve Forbes of New Jersey. The Democrats had the choice of Representative and Former Vice Presidential Candidate Richard Gephardt, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, and Senator Bob Kerry of Nebraska. The Republican Primary was easy enough: Kemp humiliates Forbes and Keyes at every primary. Forbes was able to win the New Jersey and Arizona Primary and Keyes was able to win the D.C. Caucus and Delaware Primary, but Kemp won the other 31 and the nomination. The Democrats had a different story. The front runners were Representative Gephardt and Senator Kerry. Gephardt won the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary. Kerry won the South Carolina and Arizona Primary. These first four primaries knocked every other competitor out of the race. In July, the Republicans convened in Palm Beach to nominate Jack kemp for President and Secretary of State Patrick J. Buchanan for Vice President. In June, the Democrats nominated Representative Richard Gephardt for President and Mario Cuomo for Vice President.

The popularity of the Goldwater, Reagan, Dole, and Crane Administrations led to the Kemp landslide in 1996. The Democrats had to deal with an under funded campaign and an increasingly hostile press. John F. Kennedy personally campaigned for Gephardt and used the New York Times as a tool for the Gephardt Campaign. This could not help the Democrats even. On Election Day, Kemp-Buchanan destroyed Gephardt-Cuomo with 55% of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes to 43% of the popular vote and only 168 electoral votes for Gephardt-Cuomo.

The Kemp Administration was slow, and nothing was really accomplished. A new tax cut on business was passed and the Republicans humiliated the Democrats in the 1998 Congressional Elections. In 1999, Arkansas Senator and Former Governor Bill Clinton was removed from office for lying under oath about a sell out to the Chinese.

In June 1998 tragedy took the nation and the GOP, former President Goldwater died of a stroke. In Tucson, Arizona, Goldwater passed on at the age of 96. His funeral was widely watched and resembled Lincoln’s Funeral. President Kemp was allowed to have Goldwater lie in the east room of the White House and then lay in the Capitol Rotunda. A Zogby poll in June 1998 that 69% of Americans polled believed Goldwater was a great president. Even 51% thought he was as great as Lincoln and Roosevelt. President Kennedy, Reagan, Dole, Crane, and Kemp all attended his funeral. Vice President Buchanan, former Speaker of the House of Representative Gerald Ford, the Reverend Billy Graham and Pat Robertson, and the entire Congress, but one person, Edward Kennedy, came. John Kennedy said, “It is the saddest day since my wife died. He was a great American

[PBrunsel]

The Buchanan Administration: Part V

In 2000, President Kemp shocked the nation by stating he would not run for reelection. The front runner was Vice President Patrick Buchanan, but Arizona Senator John McCain and Texas Governor George W. Bush also entered the race. The Democrats were certain of victory over Buchanan. They wanted a strong candidate. Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the Reverend Al Sharpton of New York, and former Vice Presidential nominee Albert Gore of Tennessee. The Republican Primary was a very close one. Bush won an upset in the Iowa Caucus, but Buchanan took a solid victory in the New Hampshire Primary. The primary dragged on into June with Buchanan winning 29 primaries (60.4%), Bush winning 12 (25.0%), and McCain winning 9 (14.6%). Despite Buchanan’s lead in the primaries, he had failed to win any big states. Bush won the California primary and McCain won the Ohio and New York Primaries. Buchanan was still sure of victory at the Philadelphia Convention. The Democrats had a strangely easy campaign. Bradley, Lieberman, and Gore won all the primaries while Sharpton dropped out. Lieberman won the Iowa Caucus while Bradley won New Hampshire and Gore won South Carolina. The 3 most important primaries left the candidates in a dead heat. Gore won the Ohio, Virginia, and California Primaries with ease. Bradley took the east with out even trying. Lieberman had strength in the more Conservative South. The primary season wore on into July when the Democrats convened in Los Angeles. In Philadelphia, Buchanan was nominated on the 3rd ballot and selected George W. Bush as his running mate. The Democrats nominated in Los Angeles in 2000. They selected Bill Bradley on the 43rd Ballot and Joseph Lieberman for Vice President. The campaign opened with Bradley having a large lead over Buchanan. This lead was primarily due to Libertarian Harry Browne’s large poll results. After negative TV ads and a well funded campaign, Buchanan began to top Bradley in the polls. After three debates (Browne included in all three) Buchanan was assured victory over the more boring Bradley. On Election Day, voters narrowly chose Patrick Buchanan to be their president. Buchanan-Bush won only 46% of the popular vote and 293 electoral votes. Bradley-Lieberman won 43% of the vote and 245 electoral votes. Harry Browne- Art Oliver Libertarian ticket won 10% of the vote, yet no electoral votes.

On September 11th, 2001, the World Trade Towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, and the State Pennsylvania by terrorists working under the Taliban Forces in Afghanistan. President Buchanan rallied America to battle and invaded Afghanistan. Buchanan used Secretary of State “Stormin” Norman Schwarzkopf to his advantage. Schwarzkopf was given control of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and Osama bin Laden was captured on November 21st, 2002. After the Republicans again recaptured the Congress in 2002, Buchanan invaded Iraq. The U.S. captured the Hitler like Saddam Hussein by Christmas 2003, and the new Iraqi Constitution was written up and passed by September 2004.

In August 2004, President John F. Kennedy died at the age of 91. He had lived a remarkably long time, and he was mourned by the nation. As was requested by Kennedy, he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with his wife. “It is sad to se the passing of such a great leader,” President Buchanan said at the funeral, “But we must remember that President John Fitzgerald Kennedy is not gone in spirit. We have the New Frontier of the Space Program, forest conservation, and restoration of our nation’s cities. The body of President Kennedy now goes, but his spirit will endure the United Sates and the world for all eternity.”

[dunn]

Your dreams are long man...

[PBrunsel]

I know. It was just a funny scenario. TOO long as well!

[dunn]

T was good though, not that I would want it to happend but It was nice conservative dream

[PBrunsel]

Well thank you.

[dunn]

Well thank you.

[JohnFKennedy]

hmmm, I don't think Goldwater would beat Kennedy.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Goldwater only won ONE state via his platform (Arizona)... the Deep South was won by race baiting. Had Goldwater won... World War Three...

[PBrunsel]

In my scenario Goldwater won due to the public finding out about Kennedy's affairs. He aslo won due to several bluffs made by the Kennedy Campaign and Eugene McCarthy as an independent.

[Michael Z]

Quite an interesting thread, I was thinking of starting a timeline like this myself. Anyway, had JFK not been murdered I think the list of Presidents might have been something like this:

1961 - 1969  John F. Kennedy (Dem)
1969 - 1973  Nelson Rockefeller (Rep)
1973 - 1981  Henry M. Jackson (Dem)
1981 - 1989  John Anderson (Rep)
1989 - 1997  Lloyd Bentsen (Dem)
1997 - 2005  Bill Clinton (Dem)
2005 -           Joseph Lieberman (Rep)

I might do my own timeline on this soon, explaining the more, erm, eccentric aspects of this list (like Anderson and Lieberman being Republicans).


Btw, I'm not sure if 1964 would have seen a race between Goldwater and Kennedy, as a) AUH20 and JFK were good friends, and b) Republicans partly picked Goldwater over Rockefeller because the 1964 election was regarded as unwinnable and Goldwater was chosen as the sacrificial lamb (comparable to Mondale winning the Dem nomination over Hart and Glenn in '84), thereby ensuring that Rockefeller's reputation isn't damaged by a failed Presidential race and he's able to have a clean slate for 1968 (which he declined to run, but that's beside the point).
Well, that's my theory anyway.

[J. J.]

LBJ was planning to leave the ticket in 1964.  It would not have been Kennedy/Johnson in 1964.  Any GOP candidate would have been stronger without Johnson on the ticket and without the sympathy generated for Johnson due to the Kennedy assassination.

Further, because there was no sympathy vote, some other Republicans might have entered the race.

There are three questions I'd ask about 1964:  1.  Who is the Democratic VP nominee.  2.  Who is on the GOP ticket.

Third is a crucial question.  If neither group is segregationist, which was quite possible, would a southern candidate step up, e.g. Thrumond or Wallace.

If Kennedy doesn't take any "Nixon 1960" states and loses his hold in the South, the election might have gone to the House, which would have more Republican.

My might have seen Wallace's 1968 dream in 1964, no civil rights action.