1976 after two terms of RFK

[President Johnson]

Certainly highly speculative, but what's your guess how 1976 would/could have turned out after two terms of President Robert F. Kennedy, having defeated Richard Nixon in 1968 and someone else in 1972. I guess the Republican nominee in 1976 depends on 1972. Perhaps either Rockefeller or Reagan, depending on whether one of them lost four years before.

A natural Democratic nominee would be RFK's vice president. Terry Sanford was often mentioned as possible choice here. I think Carter is either irrelevant here or maybe a potential pick for the second spot. Let's assume Vietnam still collapsed sometime during RFK's second term after his administration negotiated a similar deal as the Paris Accord, maybe in 1971 instead of 1973.

It's pretty amazing Bobby would have left office at 51 years, being term-limited.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

An easy Republican win due to the oil shock and Democratic fatigue.

[Sir Mohamed]

The GOP candidate would be heavily favored due to general circumstances and fatigue. If Reagan was the nominee in 1972, someone more moderate is their candidate. But not Rockefeller I guess, as he would have been seen as a has-been. If Rockefeller or a moderate lost in 1972, Reagan perhaps ends up winning the presidency in 1976.

Very much possible the newly elected R-prez remains a 1-termer and loses in 1980.

[Zedonathin2020]

Reagan wins

[Agonized-Statism]

Wallace does well enough to throw the election to the House in 1968, and Kennedy survives against a divided GOP's Rockefeller in 1972 (a disaffected conservative like James Buckley or maybe Activist Jesse Helms runs third-party). By 1976, Democrats' luck runs out with the Fall of Saigon, Oil Shock, and a sixteen-year itch. Vice President Sanford is diagnosed with a heart murmur as OTL but runs anyway. He's probably tempted to pick Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley as his running mate for a historic first, but is dissuaded to prevent a total wipeout. Some liberal Republicans object to Reagan and some conservatives are dissatisfied with Schweiker as running mate, but by then the party is too traumatized by third-party spoilers to split again.


Vice President Terry Sanford (D-NC) / Senator Adlai Stevenson (D-IL)
Fmr. Governor Ronald Reagan (R-CA) / Senator Richard Schweiker (R-PA) ✓