Failed presidency of LBJ…..I would argue that his achievements in addressing racism and poverty are hardly failures. Because he had one term and chose not to run? Perhaps that too was the best decision at the time.
He chose not to run because he had no support and could not win. Much like with Biden, losing the support of your party is a kind of failure as a President.
His administration also fabricated the justification for invading Vietnam with the Gulf on Tonkin incident. Some good in there yes, but he certainly did enough intentional bullshit to even it out.
I think Vietnam weighs very heavily on LBJ's legacy. If you visit his library, there's an almost cartoonish attempt to justify the choices made that got us into 'Nam.
His record is mixed. Failure or not is a matter of opinion.
I would called LBJ's presidency flawed rather than failed. As you note, the Civil Right Act and Medicare. The Vietnam war brought him down-let's remember that Nixon operatives were secretly working to undermine the peace process during the 1968 presidential campaign.
For those readers interested, the Nixon library is worth visiting. I went last year with relatives and we were impressed by the presentation. Yes, it's favorable to RMN, but the section on Watergate and the crisis is honestly presented. It includes portions of interviews with several of those involved and they can be quite candid.
LBJ a failure? Hardly, LBJ had monumental achievements, an honorable, stable transition from a horrific assassination that could have destroyed America; a civil rights and poverty record no one will ever approach. It was only yesterday that Bill Krystol was saying trans citizens deserved the respect as all others. Take one look at this photo - LBJ confronting the racist Senator Richard Russell to end his filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
I think the failure of LBJ was clearly Vietnam, and the subsequent lying to the American people.
His successes domestically are, as you say, monumental.
On a side note, I love the face the he was a tall and large man, who could essentially tower over people, like Senator Russell, to get them to change their minds.
I like your point but he went on to double down on Vietnam putting people in the streets (including me so, not a bad thing from my angle) and crashing the D party setting up Nixon.
It was definitely Viet Nam that precipitated his decision not to run. The Gulf of Tonkin incident didn't help him and people stopped trusting his administration. For as much as people talk about Johnson's ability to bridge political division with Civil Rights and Health Care legislation, they tend to forget he had a similar task with a huge political divide over Viet Nam and the draft. That was a chasm he couldn't bridge. I think because it was a generational clash, he might not have seen it as serious as it turned out to be.
Failed presidency of LBJ…..I would argue that his achievements in addressing racism and poverty are hardly failures. Because he had one term and chose not to run? Perhaps that too was the best decision at the time.
He chose not to run because he had no support and could not win. Much like with Biden, losing the support of your party is a kind of failure as a President.
"I would argue that his achievements in addressing racism and poverty are hardly failures. Because he had one term and chose not to run?"
You can take the neocon outa' "Up from Liberalism" but you can't take "Up from Liberalism" outa' the neocon ...
His administration also fabricated the justification for invading Vietnam with the Gulf on Tonkin incident. Some good in there yes, but he certainly did enough intentional bullshit to even it out.
I think Vietnam weighs very heavily on LBJ's legacy. If you visit his library, there's an almost cartoonish attempt to justify the choices made that got us into 'Nam.
His record is mixed. Failure or not is a matter of opinion.
I would called LBJ's presidency flawed rather than failed. As you note, the Civil Right Act and Medicare. The Vietnam war brought him down-let's remember that Nixon operatives were secretly working to undermine the peace process during the 1968 presidential campaign.
For those readers interested, the Nixon library is worth visiting. I went last year with relatives and we were impressed by the presentation. Yes, it's favorable to RMN, but the section on Watergate and the crisis is honestly presented. It includes portions of interviews with several of those involved and they can be quite candid.
Indeed, LBJ's accomplishments in Civil Rights were demonstrations of personal and political courage.
LBJ a failure? Hardly, LBJ had monumental achievements, an honorable, stable transition from a horrific assassination that could have destroyed America; a civil rights and poverty record no one will ever approach. It was only yesterday that Bill Krystol was saying trans citizens deserved the respect as all others. Take one look at this photo - LBJ confronting the racist Senator Richard Russell to end his filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/04/what-the-hells-the-presidency-for/358630/
This Morning Shots should be retracted. It is without merit.
I think the failure of LBJ was clearly Vietnam, and the subsequent lying to the American people.
His successes domestically are, as you say, monumental.
On a side note, I love the face the he was a tall and large man, who could essentially tower over people, like Senator Russell, to get them to change their minds.
I like your point but he went on to double down on Vietnam putting people in the streets (including me so, not a bad thing from my angle) and crashing the D party setting up Nixon.
It was definitely Viet Nam that precipitated his decision not to run. The Gulf of Tonkin incident didn't help him and people stopped trusting his administration. For as much as people talk about Johnson's ability to bridge political division with Civil Rights and Health Care legislation, they tend to forget he had a similar task with a huge political divide over Viet Nam and the draft. That was a chasm he couldn't bridge. I think because it was a generational clash, he might not have seen it as serious as it turned out to be.