Myth - Kennedy Stole the 1960 from Nixon

[Colin Crow]

This has long been promoted (and still is on the net). The usual candidates are Richard Daley with or without the Chicago Mob. The story goes that the deliver 27 electoral votes to JFK and therefore the election. The problem with this is that Kennedy won the electoral college with 303 votes (269 required to win). So Illinois was not enough to provide the win. One could theorise a Mob assist in Nevada that could have added an extra 3 votes. Without those two states however he still had 273. Johnson on his ticket surely delivered the Texas votes, without that state it would have become more difficult.

Anyone want to debate the topic? Can we put this one to rest? I am not arguing that Daley didn’t push hard for JFK but the notion that Chicago delivers the presidency appears unfounded to me.

[Jerry Freeman]

I would have thought that there were a lot fewer electors back then. Each state has votes = to the number of representatives + two votes for their senators. The popular vote was very close in 1960....



Notice how red the left coast was back then! Heavy Dixiecrat and black American votes made the difference.

[Colin Crow]

I would have thought that there were a lot fewer electors back then. Each state has votes = to the number of representatives + two votes for their senators. The popular vote was very close in 1960....



Notice how red the left coast was back then! Heavy Dixiecrat and black American votes made the difference.

Well the popular vote doesn’t really matter, it’s the electoral college.....right? The red/blue map is interesting but can anyone put up an argument that the election was stolen predominantly by Daley/Mob influence in Chicago?

PS....I believe although the map shows 270 to win, in 1960 it was only 269.

PPS... I found this analysis relating to the Chicago outfit and the 1960 election.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5154619_Organized_crime_and_the_1960_presidential_election

[Denis Pointing]

Well the popular vote doesn’t really matter, it’s the electoral college.....right? The red/blue map is interesting but can anyone put up an argument that the election was stolen predominantly by Daley/Mob influence in Chicago?

PS....I believe although the map shows 270 to win, in 1960 it was only 269.

PPS... I found this analysis relating to the Chicago outfit and the 1960 election.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5154619_Organized_crime_and_the_1960_presidential_election

Hi Colin, yeah, the mob's power and influence have always been vastly exaggerated..mainly by the mob. I don't believe the mob had enough influence to get Kennedy elected. That's not to say the mob didn't take credit for it. Your link sums it up nicely. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5154619_Organized_crime_and_the_1960_presidential_election

[Colin Crow]

Hi Colin, yeah, the mob's power and influence have always been vastly exaggerated..mainly by the mob. I don't believe the mob had enough influence to get Kennedy elected. That's not to say the mob didn't take credit for it. Your link sums it up nicely. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5154619_Organized_crime_and_the_1960_presidential_election

Thanks Denis,

I had never been convinced of the theory that the Mob would help JFK due to the brothers pursuit of them during McClennan. Maybe they thought they had some influence but I am not convinced. I do believe they wanted Cuba back as a playground and that their 1959 Nixon initiated plans to assassinate Castro were a possible reason for a feeling of "double cross" by RFK when he later found out they had been used and ordered it stopped.

The deportation of Marcello also would not have gone down well. Certainly the Mob was feeling the heat after the 1960 election.

Stay safe, hope you can have something like a normal Xmas.

[Richard Smith]

I seem to recall from the Robert Caro book that there was some hanky panky in Texas.  LBJ basically delivered a win.  His voters used to vote in alphabetical order. 

[Colin Crow]

I seem to recall from the Robert Caro book that there was some hanky panky in Texas.  LBJ basically delivered a win.  His voters used to vote in alphabetical order.

I believe the margin in Texas was 48,000. I also seem to recall that there were allegations that Nixon has some shady voting as well. Not sure what state, may have been California. In any event the notion that the Outfit (Momo) delivered JFK the election in return for a blind eye to their activities lacks credibility.