Lyndon B. Johnson (ordering pants is more entertaining…)

Originally posted in response to a class assignment:

Listen to one of the presidential speeches listed in Lesson 4. Summarize it, then discuss what you found most convincing or important about what was said. (Do not comment on the politics of the speaker, Democrat or Republican, but on the effectiveness of their arguments or vision.) 

Was the presentation effective? 

Why do you think this speech was chosen to be used in this class as an example of this president's legacy? 

Include citations or URLs for your work to receive full credit, and provide substantive replies to the posts of at least two of your classmates.

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a speech in which he shared information and viewpoints on the Vietnam War, US deficit and his decision to abstain from seeking re-election. Johnson, not necessarily known for his speaking abilities, seemed to deliver the speech without great emotion, and made attempts to share with the public his feelings that the war being waged in Vietnam was of importance and required many additional troops—this point had been made at the beginning and came back toward the conclusion of his address. In the middle of Johnson’s speech came talk of how the United States was facing a great deficit due to over-spending of the government. Johnson proposed that the government listen to his pleas to decrease spending and raise taxes—which shouldn’t have come at much cost considering the status of employment and wages amongst the public—to counteract this deficit.

What seemed to boggle my mind about the address was the transitions from Vietnam to the budget, and then finally returning to Vietnam. Johnson’s poor segue to the budget from Vietnam came directly on the heels of saying that there would be a need for the increase in spending to support our efforts and interests in the conflict. In an effort to change the view, there was an attempt to express that the world was looking upon the US during the conflict as a world power with an inability to keep its’ own budget in check. I would suppose that this maneuver was an attempt to garner the favor of those fearing the red menace; however to my knowledge many Americans had stopped buying into the domino theories of the spread of communism. Additionally the country was experiencing much civil unrest and was less than enthused with our involvement elsewhere.

Not only had the public began to lose favor of Johnson over Vietnam, but they were also beginning to see an end come to establishment of some of the plans that he and his predecessor, Kennedy, had been attempting to work on. Though Johnson had seen many of the “Great Society” dreams come to fruition attitudes had begun to change in the public and in the Congress.

In listening to Johnson, I heard a plea—a plea for the public to understand his vision, and a plea for the now Republican strong Congress to back him. In his plea, however, he also seemed to recognize his defeat.

Finalizing his speech, Johnson stated that his tasks were too great for him to take the time to run for a re-election. Though the words he spoke said that he had a greater interest in running the war than hitting the pavement for the next election parade, the undertone—the subtext surrounding his unwillingness to seek or accept nomination from the DNC—said that he saw that he was failing in the eyes of the public. The words also seemed to echo that he could see that he, himself, was failing as well—Johnson died a few days after what would’ve been the end of his second term, had he been re-elected.

Was Johnson’s speech effective? I don’t believe so. Johnson’s speech was, in my opinion, a downer. Granted, not every presidential address is a pep-rally; however, when facing troubles and low public opinion, one would think that including some high-points or bragging rights would give good balance. Instead, Johnson elected to keep to the topics he had in mind.

Johnson can be remembered for many different things throughout his Presidency. Some remember him as the Vice-President who had been thrust into the Presidency due to the tragic murder of Kennedy—and then some think that he may have played a role in that plot. Some may remember him for seeing some of Kennedy’s visions through, and for pushing his own agendas for education. Some may also remember him as pushing hard for the Vietnam War. Many don’t remember him at all.

I would suspect that Johnson, and this speech, were chosen as material for us to review in this class because Johnson is amongst one of the forgotten presidents. I would say that if one were to poll young school-age children (who have actually gotten a worthy course in US history) none would really know of LBJ, aside from the fact that he had finished Kennedy’s term. Even in some programs I have watched on television I have seen the documentaries jump from Kennedy to Nixon.

I believe that it is also possible that this speech was included in the material because of the many similarities that pundits have drawn between Johnson and President Obama. Obama, like Johnson, has challenges to face in the worlds of healthcare and education. Obama, like Johnson, has come into office with fairly high ratings and zeal. Obama, like Johnson, faces some civil unrest and a public which has fallen unsure in certain areas. The differences between the two, however, lie in the fact that Obama faces a poor economy and LBJ faced the Vietnam War. In Johnson’s fight in Vietnam he lost and is now a spec in our history. In Obama’s quest, will he favor any better?

Ultimately, however, I believe that the speech was included so that we may hear the final section, where the President announces that he is not going to seek re-election. I come to this conclusion as the material supplied for the class reads, “Note: Scroll to the very end to hear his decision.”

[…personally, I believe that likening W. to LBJ would be better. I see W. becoming a forgotten president, with the only memorable part being the events surrounding 9/11. Speaking of 9/11, W. and LBJ also have a bit in common with Vietnam and the “war on terror” …but who compares a Democrat to a Republican and vice versa?]

References

Johnson, L. B. “The President's Address to the Nation Announcing Steps To Limit the War in Vietnam and Reporting His Decision Not To Seek Reelection. Washington, D.C., 31 March 1968. Audio. Retrieved 11 Oct 2011 from: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/mediaplay.php?id=28772&admin=36

Unknown. "Unit 4: The Executive Branch." 2010. Web/PDF Document. Retrieved 10 Oct 2011, from: https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/155085/Unit%204:%20The%20Executive%20Branch/Unit4_TheExecutiveBranch.pdf

…and to see what I'm referencing in the title of this post: