What if-1968 Democratic National Convention

[GPORTER]

What if Bobby leaves the ballroom through the way that he was supposed to after the California primary, and he is never shot up until the convention. Bobby and Humphrey have a debate, and it goes to Kennedy's favor.

How does the vote at the convention go? Can kennedy pull it out against humphrey?

[Albus Dumbledore]

Kennedy is more charismatic so why not?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Kennedy is more charismatic so why not?

Because of all the POed McCarthy supporters.  There was more bad blood between McCarthy and Kennedy than between either of them and Humphrey.  If McCarthy is left out of the debate there will be even more bad blood.  Of course I seriously doubt that Humphrey would agree to a debate.  Whatever happens, because of that bad blood and his party boss support, Humphrey is guaranteed a spot on the ticket.  Whether that spot will be as #1 or #2 and whether he runs with McCarthy or Kennedy is open to discussion.

[True Democrat]

Kennedy is more charismatic so why not?

Because of all the POed McCarthy supporters.  There was more bad blood between McCarthy and Kennedy than between either of them and Humphrey.  If McCarthy is left out of the debate there will be even more bad blood.  Of course I seriously doubt that Humphrey would agree to a debate.  Whatever happens, because of that bad blood and his party boss support, Humphrey is guaranteed a spot on the ticket.  Whether that spot will be as #1 or #2 and whether he runs with McCarthy or Kennedy is open to discussion.

Humphrey did debate McCarthy in front of the California delegation during the convention.

[Albus Dumbledore]

There's always the option of a 4 way presidential race. Imagine it. McCarthy/?(Whose a far leftist who could be a potential veep) v. Kennedy/Yarborough v. Wallace/Lemay v. Nixon/Agnew. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Humphrey did debate McCarthy in front of the California delegation during the convention.

With a moderator and all that or just the two of them making their case to the delegation at the same time?  The latter I can believe, though if Kennedy is still alive, then there'd be no reason to hold a debate/conversation in front of Kennedy's California delegates.

[Albus Dumbledore]

Ernest any comments on the alterations to the scenario I proposed?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Unless the State parties split on who to support, starting a third party run after the convention is simply too late.  If McCarthy wasn't willing to try it with Humphrey as the Democratic nominee, he's not going to try it with Kennedy as the Democratic nominee (unless Kennedy were to try to forge a Kennedy/Wallace ticket to reunify the Southern Democrats).

Kennedy/Wallace isn't as crazy as it sounds at first glance.  If you set aside their positions on the war and civil rights, the two were fairly close on the issues.  While Kennedy/Wallace won't happen in 1968, if Kennedy wins in '68 and decides he wants a new Vice President for his second term, Kennedy/Wallace '72 would definitely have been a possibility if the war was not a hot issue and Wallace had moderated his anti-civil rights stance at least as much as he had in OTL.

[Albus Dumbledore]

I was thinking a pre-convention split.