There was voter fraud going on in both camps in Illinois in 1960. It is impossible to know who would have won the state in a "fair" election.
And, of course, Kennedy probably would have won states like Mississippi, Florida, and Virginia if African Americans weren't being systematically disenfranchised.
So, in my opinion, to say that Nixon was the legitimate winner in 1960 is wrong.
You think Southern Democrats kept Blacks from voting for their party's nominee so that Eisenhower's VP could become President?
Did either of us say that?
You certainly implied Southern Blacks would have been a sure vote for Kennedy in those states. And the ones systematically disenfranchising them were Democrats who would have clearly preferred Kennedy to Nixon in 1960.
Dude, get a clue about 1960.
Both Nixon and Kennedy basically agreed on every issue. The only difference between Nixon and Kennedy was really that Nixon was like, "I'll do exactly what Senator Kennedy is proposing, but I'll do it in such a way that is still pro-business, balances the budget, keeps the dollar strong, and is STRONG ON DEFENSE".
That's literally it. If you do some Google searches of the debates (not just the famous televised one) and newspaper reader commentary reaction, a recurring theme from Republican commenters was "Nixon agrees with Kennedy too much".
In 1960, Blacks were faced with two pro-civil rights candidates, except one was an economic liberal and the other a bit less liberal. Considering the economic hardships black Americans have faced (and still do) for all of American history, they are going to vote for the party of comprehensive social safety nets and widespread government investment and a higher minimum wage, not the guy who keeps going on about a strong dollar, business taking precedence over labor, and balancing the budget.
The Republican Party had become the moderate heroes of civil rights, while the Democrats had a hardcore Dixiecrat wing and a pro-civil rights wing at the same time. Stop viewing things in such black-and-white terms.
Make peace with the fact that the Republican Party stopped gunning for civil rights after Reconstruction, and starting in the 1970s began to actively undermine them. I'm happy there are people like you who want to change the party going forward, but you cannot rewrite the past.
Poll
