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Lyndon Johnson, uninterrupted (1963-1973)

Aznavour

Well-known member
Published by SLP
This one, admittedly, is a bit of a hard sell. Between the Vietnam War, Johnson's harsh personality, his failing health and his growing impopularity within both the Democratic Party and the American Public, dropping out of the 1968 race probably saved him from a sound defeat against Nixon in 68. Effectively, LBJ is in a situation not unlike that of Truman in 52 (truly irreversible, unlike Truman in 48), so PODs and plausibility thereof are less of a priority here, although having LBJ face someone like Goldwater or Romney might perhaps help, who knows.

So, for the sake of argument, assuming Johnson could survive the primaries thanks to the party bosses and structure, and the general election due to a bad opposition, where does that leave a second/third Johnson term? Assuming Peace in Vietnam is what saves him in 68, where does that leave the rest of his foreign policy? And where does an extra term for a weakened, tired Johnson leave his once ambitious and transformative domestic policy, now that half of America is on fire, and so is the Democratic Party?
 
Johnson is far more likely to leak the Chennault Affair to the public. LBJ told Humphrey about the agreement, but Humphrey felt he could win the election without it. The impact from the scandal should be enough for LBJ to get an electoral majority. While Wallace intended for his electors to vote Nixon in the event of a hung electoral college, an alternate nominee like Romney, Rockefeller, or Percy would be less willing to make a deal with the AIP.

A campaign between the two political beasts is something that would be truly epic, though it hasn't been done too much in the alternate history world.
 
Nixon - Johnson - Wallace would be both awesome and insane. To spice the whole thing further just pick one of those wannabee assassins lurking in the shadows (Sirhan, Bremer, Earl Ray, or one of Manson nuts, there was no lack of whackos) and let the madness begin...
 
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