1968: Humphrey/Rockefeller vs. Nixon/Agnew vs. Wallace/LeMay

[cmt]

In the book "Flawed Giant" about LBJ author Robert Dalleck writes about HHH offering the VP nomination to Nelson Rockefeller, the liberal governor of NY, as a kind of unity ticket in that year of division of 1968.  Rockefeller was a good friend of both HHH and LBJ and considered the offer, but finally declined.  What if...he didn't?  What might have happened.  I think it may have produced a popular vote winner for HHH but Nixon still would have been ahead in the electoral vote--and it would have gone to the house, and HHH would have been elected.  I think it might have had the most effect in the East and Pacific states.  I believe that such states as New Jersey and Delaware, which went narrowly to Nixon might have gone to Humphrey.  I feel that California and Oregon might have been swung to HHH as well.  However, I give Maine (which went dem only becuz of Muskie in '68) and Texas to Nixon.

I believe the popular vote would have been 265 (Nixon) to 228 (Humphrey) to 45 (Wallace).

[cmt]

Yes, it's possible that LBJ could have pulled Texas out for HHH/Rockefeller in '68.  I'll concede that point.  If so the electoral vote would have been slightly in Hubert's favor.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

[True Democrat]

277-216-45

Probably being too generous to HHH, but whatever.

[go85bucks10]

This is a question for benconstine, in your map you have North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee going for Wallace in this scenario, why do you think that would have happened?

  It seems that the situation wouldn't have changed much. In those three states, the Wallace Voters were going to vote for Wallace and if not for Wallace they would vote Nixon regardless of whom Hubert Humphrey's VP would have been (barring a segregationist on the ticket which would never have happened).    Adding a liberal republican governor from New York that supported civil rights would not have sucked votes from Nixon to Humphrey enough to allow Wallace to win in either of these states (maybe Tennessee).

 And I don't see how Hubert Humphrey adding Rockefeller would in any way increase Wallace's voter turnout or shift Humphrey voters to Wallace, or Nixon's voters to Wallace.