Having been born in '63, I was too young to remember LBJ, other than remembering my parents being happy that he was out of office. I read a little more about him later. Can you tell me, if you can, why on earth JFK had him as a running mate in the first place? Was it to get the FDR fans aboard for the vote? If LBJ so hated Kennedy, why did he join the ticket?
Thanks for the little histoy lesson in advance. I wouldn't trust my high school's revisionist theory on it (that is, if I could remember it).
Kennedy was Catholic and a Democrat. To win, he needed at least a few Southern States and Texas was the biggest of those. LBJ the protestant southern master politician (Senate Majority Leader) along with fellow Texan, Sam Rayburn the speaker of the House were the most powerful men in Washington. By picking LBJ, who was his biggest competitor for the Democrat nomination, he eased fears of a Yankee "Papist" in the White House and gained support of the Southern Democrat insiders. LBJ joined the ticket because he wanted to be President and saw the VP slot as a stepping-stone to get a following outside the south.