In Jeff greenfield’s book “then everything changed” he writes a couple of alternate history scenarios one of them is where Kennedy dies after getting elected but before inauguration. LBJ becomes president and is able to use Kennedy’s death and the death of the girls who died in the burmingham bombings (which happens two years earlier in this scenario) to pass a strong voting rights act in 1961. Butterflying the Cuban missile crisis and bay of pigs away how would a strong VRA in 1961 affect the political landscape especially in the south?
Strong Voting Rights act in 1961
- Thread starter Lokiwerk
- Start date
Define a "strong VRA"? Because the actual VRA was passed in 1965, merely four years later. As such, I don't think moving forward the passage of the VRA by four years would make that much of a difference in the long term, nor do I think it would change the dynamics of many races in the short term to alter things aside from some local (not even statewide) races.
Jeff Thomas
Well-known member
If LBJ becomes President in 1961 the VRA is the smallest of the things that would change. No "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech? Do college students start marching in the streets and taking over the deans' offices four years sooner? Marijuana and LSD become things sooner, or at all? These cultural items had a profound impact on society as old institutions were destroyed. And the elephant in the room, what happens in S E Asia?
