1968: Ted Kennedy

[© tweed]

There was a brief yet powerful "draft Kennedy" movement at the 1968 Democratic convention that may have been successful had Ted Kennedy (age 36 at the time) agreed to accept the draft.

How would the 1968 election have played out if Ted Kennedy was the Democratic nominee?

[WalterMitty]

realistically, that was the only real shot teddy ever had at becoming president.  1968 was pre-chappaquidic and as you mentioned, there was a strong draft kennedy movement.

kennedy would have beaten nixon narrowly.

[johnpressman]

Nah, Nixon 1n 1968.  The events of that year caused a huge backlash.  Add Wallace and Nixon's vote together and you have a 56% majority for a more authoritarian, pro-war government.  Kennedy's politics were out of the mainstream in 1968.  Plus, his youth and inexperience. This was a more conservative nation in 1968.  The counterculture was a minority that was overrepresented in the media.

I think the only Democrat that could have possibly beaten Nixon in 1968 was Johnson, and he would have to get Wallace out of the race in order to win some southern states besides Texas..