What if Barry Goldwater 4 years later? 1968-Goldwater/Scranton v Humphrey/Muskie

[Lincoln Republican]

1968

Barry Goldwater does not run for President in 1964, believing he has a better chance of being elected President in 1968.  In 1968, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona defeats  Richard Nixon to win the GOP Presidential nomination.  (In 1964,  Democratic President Lyndon Johnson defeated Republican Senator Clifford Case of NJ in the Presidential election.)

In an effort to appeal to moderates in the Republican Party and in the country, Goldwater chooses "a great American," former Pennsylvania Governor, 1963-1967, William Scranton for Vice President.  Scranton agrees to run as Vice President, describing Goldwater as "a man of courage and conviction."

Both Goldwater and Scranton pledge to "bring unity to the nation."       

The Republican Party closes ranks and unites behind the Goldwater/Scranton ticket.

The Democrats nominate Vice President Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota for President, and Humphrey chooses Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine for Vice President.

The American Independent Party nominates former Alabama Governor George Wallace for President and former General Curtis Lemay of Ohio for Vice President.

How does this election of 1968 turn out?
Maps?

[jokerman]

With both Wallace taking the deep south from Goldwater and Humphrey likely having a slight edge over him in the North it's a big Humphrey victory.

[Dr. Cynic]

Humphrey came within a hair of beating Nixon, who politically was masterful in 68. Humphrey, however, was a better politician than Goldwater, and I don't see Scranton really helping much.

HHH would've won.

Oh, in an interesting side note, Humphrey and Goldwater were very close friends outside of the political arena.

[A18]

Wallace might not run.

[True Democrat]

[A18]

Why do people just post maps and assume we know what the EV count is?

[PBrunsel]

Wallace would not have ran if Goldwater had. He could not declare that HHH and Barry Goldwater were "two sides of the same Red Coin".



Barry Goldwater/William Scranton (R): 271 Electoral Votes

Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie (D): 267 Electoral Votes

My reasoning is simple, no Democrat could win in 1968 because of LBJ.

[jokerman]

Arkansas and Kentucky would go for Humphery of Goldwater any day.

[Gustaf]

I also doubt Wallace would run, or run sucessfully. Goldwater would fill the void, so to speak. Also, I think Goldwater would have been as hampered in 1968 as he was in 1964.



340 v 198, and I think that might even be me being generous (not convinced of Goldwater winning Vermont and NH, for instance).

ANd I second Philip's point...post EV totals!