Well, I haven’t really formulated them yet. But, I’m following a syllabus of sorts from my advisor, which has led me to read various texts dissecting American history. I’ve always been more of a cultural history rather than a political (or, Christ, economic) history kind of gal. Regardless, I’m about to start reading Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography—Lyndon Johnson and The American Dream— so I’m sure I’ll actually have feelings about Lyndon Johnson relatively soon.
Growing up I always had this vague image of him as a skinny, menacing devil. Probably because of, you know, that whole Vietnam thing. Or the picking-up-his-dog-by-the-ears thing.
However, I think it’s interesting to think about the fact that Kennedy, his predecessor, so revered, really didn’t accomplish nearly as much as evil-pants Johnson (if anything). Granted, Kennedy was assassinated, and one could argue that the “seas of change” could only come full-force in the mid-sixties, regardless of who was in the big boy chair. Still, Kennedy had a fancy-pants group of advisors, the country’s (relative) support, the looks, the status.
I’m not trying to compare it to Obama, because it’s a scary thought, but…
What if the “good guy” really doesn’t govern as well as the not-so-nice guy?
On that note, music of the day is the #1 song of 1963, when Lyndon Johnson was sworn into office:
there is definitely an attitudinal divide among generations. I always perceived him in negative light (b/c vietnam, i guess). But I think to many who lived then the Civil Rights Act/social programs were really groundbreaking achievements. and i forget he, in part, achieved those things.
Exactly, Yoeseph. My reading of the book is stalled by this Patel book, but I’ll let you know what I think about Lyndon when I get to it.