The "What if" and Ted Kennedy Question

"What if…?" is a game I occasionally play in my head when writing about crucial moments in our history. "What would have happened if the South had won the Civil War or if the stock market hadn't crashed? What if FDR had decided to send troops to support the Spanish Republic? What if Mr. and Mrs. Lenin (or, for that matter, Mr. and Mrs. Lennon) had decided not to have children?

And what if Ted Kennedy didn't make that unexplained turn as he drove toward the bridge on Chappaquiddick Island with Mary Jo Kopechne sitting in the car (here's The Nation's take on it from 1969)? How would subsequent history have been different? Would he have won the presidency in 1972 or 1976? Would we as a nation be better off today had he done so?

What do you think?

Have a question about any aspect of The Nation's archives or its history? Drop me a line at jeff.kisseloff@gmail.com To be notified of new posts to this blog, follow me on twitter @jeffisme.

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