1960 Democratic National Convention - Vice-presidential Nomination

Vice-presidential Nomination

After Kennedy secured the nomination, he asked Johnson to be his running mate in a move which surprised many. For decades, there was much debate regarding the details of Johnson's nomination—why it was offered and why he agreed to take it. Some historians speculated that Kennedy actually wanted someone else (such as Senators Stuart Symington or Henry M. Jackson) to be his running mate, and that he offered the nomination to Johnson first only as a courtesy to the powerful Senate Majority Leader.According to this speculation, Kennedy was surprised when Johnson accepted second place on the Democratic ticket. A related story is that, after Johnson accepted the offer, Robert Kennedy went to Johnson's hotel suite to dissuade Johnson from becoming the vice-presidential nominee. Johnson was offended that "JFK's kid brother" would brashly urge him to stay off the ticket. In response to his blunt confrontation with Robert Kennedy, Johnson called JFK to confirm that the vice-presidential nomination was his; JFK clearly stated that he wanted Johnson as his running mate. Milton DeWitt Brinson, a North Carolina delegate, asked Senator Sam Ervin to get down on his knees and beg Johnson if need be to convince him to take the nomination. The record shows that the N.C. delegation was instrumental in his decision to run. Johnson and Robert Kennedy became so embittered by the experience that they began a fierce personal and political feud that would have grave implications for the Democratic Party in the 1960s.

In 1993, JFK's personal secretary (both before and during his presidency), Evelyn Lincoln, described in a videotaped interview how the decision was made. She said she was the only witness to a private meeting between John and Robert Kennedy in a suite at the Biltmore Hotel, during which they made the decision. She said she went in and out of the room as they spoke and, when she was in the room, she heard them say that Johnson had tried to blackmail JFK into offering him the vice presidential nomination by showing JFK evidence of his womanizing provided to Johnson by FBI director J. Edgar, discuss possible ways to avoid making the offer, and conclude JFK had no choice. This portion of the videotape of Lincoln’s interview was included in The History Channel’s documentary series "The Men Who Killed Kennedy," in concluding Episode 9, “The Guilty Men,” produced and aired in 2003.

The nomination was carried by voice vote, although many there thought that more people screamed "Nay!" than "Aye!"