It was
Kennedy 303
Nixon 219
Byrd 15
Losing Illinois would have brought Kennedy down to 276, and Nixon to 246.
Would the unpledged electors from AL and MS under any circumstances have voted for Nixon? The faithless elector from OK would not have been faithless had Nixon been in the lead.
If so then Nixon needed only 8 more EV plus the unpledged. If not then Nixon needed another 22.
Other question: Would Nixon have endorsed Harry F. Byrd rather than let the election go to the House?
My understanding was always that the unpledged southern electors went for Byrd as a protest vote AFTER they found out they couldnt be a factor in the overall result.
But I honestly believe that Nixon looked at all of this, thought to himself “what a clusterfunk” and decided that it would have been too nasty and complicated to push forward.
I will never understand Kennedy’s strength in the south. Eisenhower did very well in the south in reguards to regional popular vote in 56. In the electoral vote, Ike carried Louisiana in 56. How did Nixon not win it ? I understand Lyndon Johnson was a factor, but honestly...I don’t think that was the only factor. Was it the “traditional” my daddy always voted Democrat situation ? The Democrats were already losing the south starting in 48.