[tanknetter]

Do you think Johnson accepted the VP spot because he expected to knock off Kennedy? No, he did it because he wanted to be President in 8 years.

I don't think that LBJ was involved, in any way, in the Kennedy assassination. However there is a flaw in your argument: even LBJ was aware that once JFK became President the "heir" was going to be Bobby. Under those circumstances, I'm not really sure why LBJ took the spot on the ticket. He either thought he could defeat Bobby for the nomination in '68, or there was some other motivating factor. LBJ was a very smart and slick politician ... so my guess is that it was more the latter than the former.

[Defiant]

LBJ didn't think of Bobby as a political rival in 1960. He didn't become one until after JFK's death. Bobby was not an elected official in 1960, and was appointed to be Attorney General. His path would have been to stay in that slot, get elected somewhere in 68, and run for President in 72 or 76, had JFK not been shot.

LBJ took the job reluctantly, with the idea of being President in 68. He forced himself to accept serving under a guy who he thought was too young and inexperienced because after losing the nomination, it was his best way to the White House, and that meant more to him than anything, even his pride.