General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Breath of Dissent [View all]H2O Man
(73,333 posts)I think that a re-evaluation of LBJ's presidency has started in the past year or so. His decline in '66 to '68 was tragic, though not nearly as tragic as any individual American being killed or wounded in that terrible war. That Vietnam legacy keeps LBJ from being remembered as one of the three greatest presidents.
It was, of course, complex. Too often, people are either unaware or have forgotten that LBJ's becoming entrenched in that war was a process that began while he was VP. Johnson, who strongly (but silently) disagreed with JFK's policies in Vietnam, was getting military intelligence briefings that were not presented to President Kennedy. In my opinion, that put his later hardships in a different context than what is more widely believed -- that LBJ had no real foreign policy experience when he was thrust into the presidency.
Yet, for all of that, there is his polar-opposite accomplishments. They do rank high in significance, despite the never-ending opposition that the Civil Rights movement and Great Society programs have faced.