July 13, 2008

Bobby Kennedy Predicts Barack Obama


Robert F. Kennedy gave a speech to the Voice of America in May 1968 ... 40 years ago. Despite what was going on in the country, Bobby Kennedy noted that things are "moving so fast in race relations a Negro could be president in 40 years.

There's no question about it ... In the next 40 years a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother has." 'But we have tried to make progress and we are making progress. We are not going to accept the status quo.'

Someone needs to write a book on what America might have been like if Bobby Kennedy was elected president in 1968 instead of Richard Nixon. Can you name anything that you think would be different?

2 comments:

Monica Roberts said...

Hmm where can I start?

No Watergate scandal with the resulting cynicism and distrust of government. Probably no Carter presidency since Bobby would have done two terms and been coming out in 1976. The conservative shift in the Supreme Court would have been delayed with Bobby filling the vacancies instead of Nixon.

More progress would have been made in terms of civil rights and the ERA probably would have been ratified with Bobby leading the charge.

Reagan may have become president in 1976 instead of 1980 because at that point you would have had 16 years of Dem control of the White house.

Unknown said...

Monica - You have the type of creative mind that is great for writing books and owning blogs! I think that you have laid out a good alternate universe if Bobby Kennedy had not been assassinated...