1968: LBJ resigns on March 31

[President Johnson]

Shortly after LBJ gave his speech he wouldn't run in the upcoming election on March 31, 1968, I read about some fake news at the time he resigned the presidency. What if he actually did resign that day and elevated Hubert Humphrey to the presidency? Going into the general election as an incumbent president, is it enough for Hubert to tip the needle into his direction? (His nomination by the Democratic Party would have been assured)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

In real life LBJ managed to give Humphrey a last-minute bump by ceasing the bombing campaign in the North. Had he done it a little before, Humphrey probably would've won.

If Humphrey assumed the Presidency in March, in addition to having the incumbency advantage, he would probably go much further with deescalation, owing to his doubts about the Vietnam committment, which would probably have a similar effect.

[Sir Mohamed]

Humphrey would have moved more quickly to deescalation and made Nixon attempts to sabotage Paris talks public, costing Nixon the election. The Chennault connection and its impact on the war is way underrated by historians, it's probably worse than Watergate.

✓ President Hubert Humphrey (D-MN)/Vice President Edmund Muskie (D-ME): 287 EVs.; 45.1%
Former Vice President Richard Nixon (R-NY)/Governor Spiro Agnew (R-MD): 206 EVs.; 41.0%
Former Governor George Wallace (A-AL)/General Curtis LeMay (A-CA): 45 EVs.; 11.2%

CA could go either way, it would be very close like NJ, MO and OH.

[connally68]

Most likely 100,000 troops are brought home by 1969.

[connally68]

Sadly in real life Humphrey did not support a complete withdraw of troops until December of 1971.

[morgankingsley]

Humphrey probably wins just by incumbent advantage