What if LBJ dies exactly eight years earlier, on January 22, 1965? In such a scenario newly-inaugurated US Vice President Hubert Humphrey becomes the new US President. So, just how exactly does the US actually look under a President Humphrey starting from 1965?

One important policy distinction that I could see is that Humphrey will likely abandon South Vietnam in or around 1965 since that's what he advocated in a private memo to LBJ during this time in real life:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/02/vietnam-lbj-pleiku-haunts-democrats-115259

Humphrey might aim for a fig leaf of neutralization, as in Laos, but ultimately this would simply be a way for the US to both save face and buy some additional time.

I assume that on the domestic front we still see programs such as the Great Society? And the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Fair Housing Act of 1968? And I also presume that Humphrey easily gets elected in 1968 as an incumbent US President in this TL and that whomever his VP is gets elected in their own right in 1972, correct?

On 5/1/2021 6:12 PM, WolfBear wrote:
> What if LBJ dies exactly eight years earlier, on January 22, 1965? In such a scenario newly-inaugurated US Vice President Hubert Humphrey becomes the new US President. So, just how exactly does the US actually look under a President Humphrey starting from 1965?
>
> One important policy distinction that I could see is that Humphrey will likely abandon South Vietnam in or around 1965 since that's what he advocated in a private memo to LBJ during this time in real life:
>
> https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/02/vietnam-lbj-pleiku-haunts-democrats-115259
>
> Humphrey might aim for a fig leaf of neutralization, as in Laos, but ultimately this would simply be a way for the US to both save face and buy some additional time.
>
> I assume that on the domestic front we still see programs such as the Great Society? And the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Fair Housing Act of 1968? And I also presume that Humphrey easily gets elected in 1968 as an incumbent US President in this TL and that whomever his VP is gets elected in their own right in 1972, correct?
>

You've. Just. had.him. ABANDON. Vitnam. To. The. Russians. And. Likely.
In.. Such. A. way. that "THAT" Sliders episode. Becomes. plausible.

No, you aren't going to get him re-elected. I don't know that NIXON
could have been re-elected if Vietnam were already one country, run from
Hanoi, in 1972. Humphrey's going to get beaten even harder than IOTL,
although admittedly, there still exists the possibility that Bobby will
steal the nomination and live instead.

--
Chrysi Cat
1/2 anthrocat, nearly 1/2 anthrofox, all magical
Transgoddess, quick to anger. [she/her. Misgender and die].
Call me Chrysi or call me Kat, I'll respond to either!