Humphrey vs Nixon 1960

[Robespierre's Jaw]

What if Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey won the West Virginia primary against Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960, Humphrey with the momentum from the primary win manages to win the Democratic nomination. Who's Humphrey's running mate? Does Humphrey defeat Nixon? Maps please.

[johnpressman]

Nixon would have probably beaten Humphrey easily  in 1960.  Hubert wears thin in large doses, the TV debates would have ruined him.  As an early proponent of civil rights, he was unpopular in the South.  As for his VP choice, he would have begged LBJ to run with him but I don't see that happenng. A  prudent VP choice would be a moderate from a southern or border state.  Symington? Gore?  Jackson? Hubert certainly couldn't pick a signer of the "Southern Manifesto" to run with...like Fulbright!

[President Thomas E. Dewey]

Ebullient Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota picks the ever dependable and ever capable Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri for Vice President.  Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson of Texas declines the honor.  (I agree with johnpressman that LBJ would not accept)

Vice President Richard Nixon picks U.N. Ambassador and former Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge for Vice President.

Liberal Humphrey is almost shut out of the south.

Nixon and Lodge score a convincing win.

Nixon/Lodge                    306
Humphrey/Symington      231



A note, however, Senator Humphrey makes a remarkable comeback 8 years later and realizes his life long ambition of becoming President of the United States, winning in 1968.

[True Democrat]

If Kennedy can get over 60% in GA, I think Humphrey can at least win (he's not even Catholic either):


332-187-18, but this going by strictly popular vote (Kennedy actually won the popular vote in Alabama in 1960).  The numbers can move a bit because of faithless electors.

[President Thomas E. Dewey]

By the way, when Humphrey wins the Prsidency in 1968, his running mate is Governor John Connally of Texas.

[johnpressman]

Nah, Winfield, the only way Hubert could have become President would be by succession.  Hey, we almost had Henry Wallace, Alben Barkley, George H.W. Bush (in 1981)  and Richard Nixon (in 1955, etc.).

As for 1960, no way HHH would have won Texas unless he ran with LBJ.  I just don't see him winning many states outside the Northeast against Nixon.

Symington as his running mate makes sense, however, I just don't get him.  Here's a guy who was thisclose  to being JFK's running mate and he is undistinguished, to say the least!

[DownWithTheLeft]

Humphrey does absolutley abyssmal in the south and Wallace is able to almost sweep it.  Wallace actually does better than Humphrey and the final result is this:



Nixon 340
Wallace 99
Humphrey 98

[MarkWarner08]

Nixon would've won that race.

[johnpressman]

Hey Downwiththeleft, you're saying that with Humphrey as the Democratic nominee in 1960, Wallace enters the race??  I believe you are mistaking the 15 Electors that voted for Sen. Harry F. Byrd for President in 1960 with George Wallace's 1968 third party run.

I cannont see Hubert Humphrey being elected President.  His big chance came in 1968, however, if Wallace had not entered the race, I believe a HHH would have lost decisively.

[Colin]

Humphrey does absolutley abyssmal in the south and Wallace is able to almost sweep it.  Wallace actually does better than Humphrey and the final result is this:



Nixon 340
Wallace 99
Humphrey 98

A few problems.

Wallace wasn't even in an elected office in 1960. This was only two years after his loss in the Democratic primary for Alabama Governor to a more pro-Segregation candidate thus causing him to become much more extreme on the issue of segregation.

Also even if a Southern/Dixiecrat candidate ran in 1960 why the hell would he win New Mexico? Seriously? Do you believe that a Southern candidate running on a pro-Segregation, basically, platform would do well in New Mexico outside of Little Texas or even in Little Texas?

[johnpressman]

New Mexico! I didn't notice that one.  Yeah, Wallace was not in office in 1960.  Given Humphrey's position on civil rights, I could see more Southern states going for Nixon or more Southern delegates voting for Byrd, however, an actual third party run for the Presidency in 1960 is out of the question.  This country was only 12 years removed from the near-crisis of 1948 and had no stomach for third pary candidates.

The world looked very different in 1968 than it did in 1960.  Wallace was also a populist, rabble-rousing figure ala Huey Long who came to prominance at an unstable time in American Politics.  His 1968 run was a one-of-a-kind happenstance.