1960: LBJ/JFK vs. Nixon/Lodge

[President Johnson]

In 1960, Lyndon B. Johnson clinches the democratic nomination for president. He chooses his former opponent JFK as his running-mate and faces VP Nixon on Nov. 8, 1960.

[MATTROSE94]

Nixon would probably win the electoral vote by a semi-comfortable margin, but only win the popular vote by a 53-47 margin.

Vice-President Richard Nixon (R-CA)/Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R-MA): 312 Electoral Votes
Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)/Senator John F. Kennedy (D-MA):218 Electoral Votes
Unpledged Electors: 8 Electoral Votes

[johnpressman]

Now THIS is a plausible scenario, in fact, Joe Kennedy offered to finance LBJ's presidential candidacy in 1956 if he would have taken JFK as his vice presidential candidate.  Johnson turned him down, much to Robert Kennedy's disgust.  He called LBJ "ungrateful".

An LBJ/JFK ticket in 1960 raises many interesting questions, such as: Would their have been televised Presidential debates with LBJ as the Democratic candidate?  Would the Catholic vote in the Northern and Midwestern cities have been as overwhelmingly Democratic?  Would LBJ respond to the jailing of Martin Luther King in the same way as JFK did?  Remember, in 1960, many African Americans voted Republican including Martin Luther King, Sr. and Jackie Robinson (a Nixon fan).

With the above questions answered in the negative, Nixon pulls off a close victory.

[President Johnson]

I would put NY and IL to the democratic ticket.