# Would Robert Kennedy have defeated Richard Nixon in 1968?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 11, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431 "2005-05-11T18:15:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431/21 "2015-05-30T04:53:48Z")

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If there had been no assassination or even an attempt on RFK, does anyone think the riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention might not have occurred?

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431/22 "2015-05-30T15:14:10Z")

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> [@dougie\_monty](#):
>
> I remember two factoids from that election:
> 
> 1. Wallace apparently entered the race to prevent an electoral majority, so the election would be turned over to the House of Representatives.
> 2. A malcontent in Redondo Beach claimed that “Nixon used mafia money to get Bobby Kennedy killed.”

Names?

It was Mayor Czuleger, wasn’t it? 😉

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**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431/23 "2015-05-30T17:37:36Z")

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> [@kaylasdad99](#):
>
> Names?
> 
> It was Mayor Czuleger, wasn’t it? 😉

No; whatever Czuleger’s mindset may have been he wasn’t a kook.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431/24 "2015-05-30T20:54:50Z")

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> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> If there had been no assassination or even an attempt on RFK, does anyone think the riots at the Chicago Democratic Convention might not have occurred?

Wouldn’t have made any difference. There would still have been radicals hell bent on protesting the Democratic Party’s role in Vietnam and Richard Daley would still be around to say things like “The policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.”

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-robert-kennedy-have-defeated-richard-nixon-in-1968/303431/25 "2015-05-30T22:10:47Z")

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We will never know.

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