1960 JFK Picks Paul Douglas For VP. What Happens?
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  1960 JFK Picks Paul Douglas For VP. What Happens?
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Author Topic: 1960 JFK Picks Paul Douglas For VP. What Happens?  (Read 3562 times)
Lincoln Republican
Winfield
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« on: September 09, 2007, 11:59:39 AM »
« edited: September 09, 2007, 12:09:35 PM by Tammany Hall Republican »

In 1960, Democratic Presidential candidate Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts and his top advisors come to the conclusion that the 1960 Presidential election will be decided in the crucial battleground states of the midwest, with Illinois being crucial to their hopes of victory.  They reason they have been historically strong in the south, both in 1952 and in 1956, and believe they will be able to hold onto most their southern strength in 1960. 

The name of experienced and respected Illinois Senator Paul H. Douglas, U.S. Senator since 1949, comes up immediately in the Vice Presidential deliberations.  Douglas is a Protestant, he has a distinguished military record of service, earning two purple hearts, and politically, Douglas has an impressive record as a strong advocate of equal rights for African Americans, while at the same time fighting for fiscal discipline, environmental protection, public housing, and truth in lending laws.

Although 68 years old, Douglas is in excellent health, and is an aggressive and tenacious campaigner.  Douglas is still 3 years younger than the successful 1948 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Alben W. Barkley.         

A decision is therefore reached on the Vice Presidential nomination, and John F. Kennedy puts in a call to Senator Douglas, asking him to be his Vice Presidential running mate.  Douglas graciously accepts the offer, and wins unanimous and enthusiastic endorsement from the Democratic National Convention.  Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, the Senate Majority Leader, formally nominates Douglas for the Vice Presidency, and delivers a rousing and dramatic speech in behalf of the Douglas Vice Presidential candidacy.  The Democrats enter the 1960 Presidential election united solidly behind their ticket.

The Republicans, as expected, nominate Vice President Richard M. Nixon for President, and Nixon picks former Massachusetts Senator and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Henry Cabot Lodge for Vice President.

Republican
For President, Vice President Richard M. Nixon of California
For Vice President, Former Senator and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts

Democrat
For President, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts
For Vice President, Senator Paul H. Douglas of Illinois

Does the Democrats "midwest strategy" work?

How does this 1960 election turn out? 

Maps? 
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Undisguised Sockpuppet
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Junior Chimp
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« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2007, 12:21:40 PM »

Election is as the same as OTL. It's after JFK gets shot that changes begin.
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Kaine for Senate '18
benconstine
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« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2007, 01:43:59 PM »


Nixon/Lodge: 226
Kennedy/Douglas: 292
Unpledged: 19
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gorkay
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« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2007, 08:00:04 AM »

Kennedy-Douglas might not do as well in the south as Kennedy-Johnson did, and in an extremely close race, that might have cost them the election.
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Erc
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« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2007, 11:19:16 PM »


Nixon/Lodge: 226
Kennedy/Douglas: 292
Unpledged: 19

Considering the close margin of the race in Texas in real life, I can't see Texas going for Kennedy without Johnson on the ticket.
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CPT MikeyMike
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« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2007, 09:04:50 AM »

Considering the close margin of the race in Texas in real life, I can't see Texas going for Kennedy without Johnson on the ticket.

Yep - Texas goes to Nixon.

I'd say Kennedy wins Illinois by a wider margin. He doesn't even need the Mafia's help there.

In the end, flip Wisconsin and Texas and that's your 1960 map.
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WalterMitty
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« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2007, 05:27:32 PM »



nixon/lodge: 51%,  266 EVs
kennedy/douglas: 48%, 252 EVs
unpledged electors: 19 EVs

douglas costs kennedy the south.

the election goes to the house.  kennedy is elected.
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Lincoln Republican
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« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2007, 09:01:08 PM »

In other words, pursuing a midwestern strategy, and not going with LBJ for VP, darn near costs JFK the election.
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CPT MikeyMike
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« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2007, 09:05:17 PM »

In other words, pursuing a midwestern strategy, and not going with LBJ for VP, darn near costs JFK the election.

Well JFK loses the south without LBJ. Texas and the Carolinas would go to Nixon.
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Lincoln Republican
Winfield
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« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2007, 09:47:01 PM »

How Nixon could conceivably have won in 1960, with the Democrats pursuing a midwest strategy, and JFK choosing Douglas for VP

Nixon/Lodge                269
Kennedy/Douglas        249
Unpledged Electors       19

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Lincoln Republican
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« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2007, 11:56:04 PM »



nixon/lodge: 51%,  266 EVs
kennedy/douglas: 48%, 252 EVs
unpledged electors: 19 EVs

douglas costs kennedy the south.

the election goes to the house.  kennedy is elected.

Walter, thank you for your interesting election results.

I realize under these circumstances with no candidate receiving a majority in the electoral college, the House election is completely constitutional, however, with Nixon receiving a majority in the popular vote, and falling just short of an electoral college majority, would this not enrage the public for the House to elect Kennedy?

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Erc
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #11 on: September 12, 2007, 12:19:11 AM »

One question that has to be asked in the event of the 1960 race going to the House is...what do the Southern Democrats do?  (They can keep voting for Harry Byrd if they want to).  Would any solidly Democratic southern delegations vote for Byrd [or Nixon, for that matter] over Kennedy?
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gorkay
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« Reply #12 on: September 12, 2007, 09:07:53 AM »

I will answer the question about whether or not the public would have been "enraged" had the House elected Kennedy when Nixon had a majority of the PV in this way: Was there widespread outrage over the Supreme Court giving the 2000 election to Bush? If the Dems saw a way to grab the presidency, they'd do it and worry about the outrage later, just as the GOP did in 2000.

As for what the southern Democrats would do in such a case: I would think they would at least consider voting for Nixon, or someone other than Kennedy, because if their support of Kennedy had been a foregone conclusion, why wouldn't they just have supported him in the first place? I think they would have been loath to swing the House election to a Republican, but would have tried to use their support as a bargaining chip to get something from Kennedy.
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johnpressman
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« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2007, 03:32:19 AM »
« Edited: September 13, 2007, 03:38:50 AM by johnpressman »

Very interesting, THM.   Douglas, on the surface, should be a good pick for the Democrats using a Midwest Strategy in 1960, however, his strong civil-rights positions, combined with Kennedy's religon, would stampede the South, either to Nixon, a third-party candidiate or the dreaded "unpledged electors".  JFK picks up IL definately, maybe WI, but loses virtually the entire South.

Also, Douglas was up for re-election in 1960 and had never shown any Presidential ambition, supporting Kefauver in 1952 , Stevenson in 1956,  and Humphrey in 1960 and 1968.

Incidently, in the greatest book about combat, "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge, the author comes upon old, gray Paul Douglas on the beach at Peleliu!
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