As a side note, I read a bio of Jackie Robinson this last year. Robinson was a huge figure in the civil rights struggles of those times. He was a huge champion of Nixon, but he despised Goldwater and considered him a bigot and racist due to his, Goldwater's, stand on the coming civil rights bill. It was only a few years after the election that Robinson sat down and had a talk with Goldwater did he regret calling Goldwater those names and realized Goldwater acted on principle and not because he was bigoted. Nevertheless, the loss of several million votes, or whatever the number would have been, could not be dismissed in a close election. However, Kennedy's death made a martyr out of him and ensured Johnson's easy election.
Kennedy and his staff were concerned enough to go to Texas as they were behind in the polls. Public opinion was a little more stable in those days-not much-but more stable. I admit there was a big Kennedy cult and I certainly agree with you as to Kennedy’s death killing Goldwater’s chances. If I remember correctly Goldwater himself said so a while after the election. I forget his exact words; something to the effect that “after Kennedy’s death we were just pooping around.” He had geared his entire campaign against Kennedy.