1960 Republican Vice Presidential Choice
RJ:
Kennedy was a darkhorse who came on late in the nomination process in 1960. Johnson was the odds on favorite for ythe longest time in that race. If Johnson had been the Democratic nominee in 1960, the Democrats would have lost the election.
That being said, I'm not so sure Johnson "won the election" for Kennedy. It certainly helped, but Kennedy still could have won woth an average candidate as the VP.
johnpressman:
JFK was anything BUT a dark horse candidate in 1960. His (unsuccessful) floor fight for the 1956 Vice Presidential Nomination and his stirring speech urging unity, kick-started his campaign. His landslide re-election victory 1n 1958, his Pulitzer Prize for "Profiles In Courage", his primary victories over Humphrey, etc., made him the front-runner from the start of the race.
Johnson's campaign was a late-starting, behind the scenes effort, largely focusing on attacking and stopping Kennedy. ANY Presidential candidate from south of the Mason Dixon Line was a longshot in 1960, and LBJ knew it, portraying himself as a Westerner!
As for Johnson's contribution to JFK's win, consider this; with JFK being a strong pro-Civil Rights Catholic rich man's son from Massachusettes, how would he have won Texas, North Carolina or South Carolina without LBJ? As it was, even with Johnson on the ticket, Democratic Electors in Mississippi and Alabama bolted, voting for Harry Byrd. Without LBJ on the ticket and his strong regional campaign, Nixon would have won crucial Southern states coupled with more Democratic Electors joining the mini-revolt, losing JFK the election.
gorkay:
I agree that LBJ was Kennedy's strongest choice as running mate. Nixon was hamstrung in part by the fact that the Democrats had won the Congressional elections in 1956 and 1958 and also a majority of the governorships, which winnowed down his possibilities quite a bit. Rockefeller would have been the strongest pick, but he wouldn't accept the nomination. I don't think someone like Thruston (not Thurston) Morton, who wasn't very well known, would have helped him much. Christian Herter, who had tried to get Nixon off the ticket in '56, is another possibility.
Here's another hypothetical question about the '60 election. Kennedy barely got enough votes for the nomination on the first ballot, and it has been speculated that if he had been stopped on the first ballot, he may not have gotten the nomination. It has also been speculated that the main beneficiary of a Kennedy failure on the first ballot would have been Adlai Stevenson, who was the sentimental favorite of many delegates and the second choice of most of the delegates committed on the early ballots to other candidates. Suppose Stevenson got the nomination in 1960 and gave Kennedy the Vice-Presidential nomination as a consolation prize. How would they have fared against a Nixon-Lodge ticket?
johnpressman:
That is an interesting scenario: If Kennedy had been stopped on the first ballot in 1960, who would have won the nomination and would they have won the general election?
I cannot see Adlai winning in 1960. After two unscucessful tries, being out of office for eight years and the 1960 Democratic nomination having great value with Ike retiring, putting Adlai up a third consecutive time (unlike William Jennings Bryan) doesn't make sense. Adlai may have been a sentimental favorite in 1960 but even Democrats are practical. I also cannont see Adlai offering the Vice Pressidential nomination to JFK and him accepting it. There was too much bad blood between them. JFK and Adlai had grown to hate one another, their political and personal styles rubbed each other the wrong way.
I would guess that Symington would have been a compromise choice in 1960. LBJ would never win enough delegates from the eastern states that dominated the Democratic Convention in 1960. He would have been perceived as a regional candidate with little chance to win the general election at the top of the ticket. Humphrey as too liberal and as a weak candidate after losing to JFK in the primaries.
Who would Symington pick for VP? If he was smart, LBJ!
Dr. Cynic:
Well, if JFK had been stopped, the logical choice would be Stu Symington, who was rather colorless, but deeply respected. Stevenson would've made a great President, but his timing in 1952 and 1956 was just bad. Symington with the nod, he would've wanted someone with a bit more charisma... The logical choice would've been Kennedy, as Symington was from Missouri, he wouldn't need a southerner (LBJ) or a fellow midwesterner (HHH). A Northeastern running mate would balance the ticket.
In the general, I can see Symington winning out of his true integrity compared to Nixon's. Both men weren't really charismatic, so it would boil down to trust. The public would trust Symington over Nixon, in my opinion.
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