DBWI Challenge: A disastrous LBJ Presidency

Today marks the 39th anniversary of the death of Lyndon Baines Johnson who was President of the United States (1963-1973).

The second-longest serving American President, Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights bills of 1964 and 1965 into law, created Medicare and Medicaid, and successfully pushed tax cuts which included urban enterprise zones. The Vietnam War ended in 1971 with a peace treaty affirming the division of the north and south, and earning LBJ and Secretary of State George Ball the Nobel Peace Prize.

What could have made LBJ the most hated President in history rather than the most popular (he left office with 70 percent job approval ratings)? And how might such an unpopular Johnson Presidency affect the Democratic Party down the road?
 
OOC: I don't see how the LBJ presidency was disastrous. He was arguably one of the best domestic policy presidents. Also, I don't see Johnson serving out his term given his health conditions, had he won another term in office, say against Barry Goldwater if Rocky was the nominee in 1964.
 
Well, he could always go the Reagan route and get the US into some quagmire of a war -- probably not Iran, but somewhere. If he does end up fighting a foreign war while still pushing the expansive domestic programs of OTL, he'll either replace his tax cuts with increases, or, more likely, run up enormous deficits that could well lead to inflation or worse...
 
Well, you could have JFK not escalate Vietnam in 1962, right? I mean, after the midterm losses he looked weak on foreign policy. Then Johnson can't "save" us from JFK's bad call. Johnson would probably escalate instead, if JFK & RFK are still shot like OTL.

Well, he could always go the Reagan route and get the US into some quagmire of a war -- probably not Iran, but somewhere. If he does end up fighting a foreign war while still pushing the expansive domestic programs of OTL, he'll either replace his tax cuts with increases, or, more likely, run up enormous deficits that could well lead to inflation or worse...
I don't see how the inflation he'll deal with will be anything worse than Humphrey's excellent handling of it.
 

d32123

Banned
Well, he could always go the Reagan route and get the US into some quagmire of a war -- probably not Iran, but somewhere. If he does end up fighting a foreign war while still pushing the expansive domestic programs of OTL, he'll either replace his tax cuts with increases, or, more likely, run up enormous deficits that could well lead to inflation or worse...

Say what you want about Reagan, but I wouldn't call his presidency a disaster. Although, like Vietnam, there were lots of loud-mouth liberals complaining about the war in Iran, the silent majority certainly supported the righteous war. It was necessary to keep the Communists contained and out of the Middle East. Without Reagan even more of that precious oil would be flowing to Moscow now instead of Washington. Reagan was a true patriot and one of the most underrated presidents ever.

Getting off-topic here though. If LBJ had lost Vietnam that probably would have been disastrous. Could you imagine the backlash the American public would have against Johnson as Southeast Asia goes red?
 
Also, I don't see Johnson serving out his term given his health conditions, had he won another term in office, say against Barry Goldwater if Rocky was the nominee in 1964.

OOC: Somehow his bad health must've been butterflied ITTL, seeing as he is stated to have died in 1982.
 
OOC: Somehow his bad health must've been butterflied ITTL, seeing as he is stated to have died in 1982.
OOC: No, the 39th anniversary means that LBJ dies in TTL on April 3/4 (depends on time zone), 1973 in TTL. 1973+39=2012
 
Today marks the 39th anniversary of the death of Lyndon Baines Johnson who was President of the United States (1963-1973).

The second-longest serving American President, Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights bills of 1964 and 1965 into law, created Medicare and Medicaid, and successfully pushed tax cuts which included urban enterprise zones. The Vietnam War ended in 1971 with a peace treaty affirming the division of the north and south, and earning LBJ and Secretary of State George Ball the Nobel Peace Prize.

What could have made LBJ the most hated President in history rather than the most popular (he left office with 70 percent job approval ratings)? And how might such an unpopular Johnson Presidency affect the Democratic Party down the road?

Don't forget the competion of the Apollo program by his succesor and disciple, Walter Mondale, that was huge!

I dunno, maybe if he mishandled the war and instead of insisting of reform in South Vietnam just unthinkingly supported a corrupt South Vietnam?

I think we can all agree that his making continued AMerican help contingent on massive regime reform in Saigon was KEY!
 
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