What Does it Take to be a Great President?

 

Lyndon B Johnson

 

[By Carlotta Fantin-Yusta and Doug Toth]

 

 

 

 

Where I Live(ed):

Other than living in the White House in Washington D.C., I lived in Stonewall, TX.

Website: Official White House Biography

 

About Me:

HELLO, FELLOW AMERICANS!  My name is Lyndon Baines Johnson, and I was the 36th president of the United States of America.  Please add me to your friends, I'm really neat-o.  I was born in Stonewall, Texas, the grooviest city in the world.  If you're still not convinced, I was a public school teacher, I was the secretary for a Congressman, I was in the House of Representatives, and I replaced John F. Kennedy after his sad assassination.   I have a beautiful wife, Lady Bird, and two wonderful daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.   

 

I'm a very hard worker, I usually worked 18-20 hr days while I was president, and I demanded a lot from the members of my administration, many times to complete exhaustion.  I think I even gave one of them a panic attack once...but ANYWAY!!...there are many good things about my presidency as well, like I helped the Civil Rights movement, I made a war on poverty to help the poorer Americans of our country, and I passed many many bills.  I was very perseverant, I never once gave up hope, and I was an excellent negotiator, I could convince anybody to do anything if I put my mind to it. 

 

Read on!

 

 

Date of Birth:

August 27th, 1908 in Stonewall, Texas

Date of Death:

January 22nd, 1973 in Stonewall, Texas

Sex:

Male

Political Views:

I'm a Democrat

 

Religious Views:

Of course, I'm a Christian.

 

Years Served as President:

1963-1969

Status:

My wife's nickname is Lady Bird Johnson, but her real name is Claudia Alta Taylor.

Children:

Two daughters: Lynda Bird, Luci Baines

Looking for:

Friendship, networking, somebody to keep me company

Occupations:

Public school teacher, Secretary to a Congressman, Texas state director of National Youth Administration, member of the House of Representatives, U.S. senator 1938-1948, Vice President to John F. Kennedy, President.

 

Interests/Hobbies:

• Being a Teacher
• Military/Wartime Service 
• fun fact! All the important people in my life have the initials LBJ.  My wife, Lynda Bird Johnson, my daughters Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson.  I guess you could call that a hobby.
• Helping people, as you can see in my war on poverty, and in many of the other attempts I made at making the world a better place for everyone
• The greatest hobby of all is to be the leader of the greatest country in the world: The United States of America

 

Education:

• I studied at TONS of colleges.  To name a few, Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1930 and Georgetown University, from 1935-36.  

 

Favorite Books:

 

These are classic books from the 1960s that I'll never forget:

 

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

 

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

 

 

Favorite Movies:

 I remember I used to love going to those fancy drive-in movie theaters.  My favorite movies were "The Apartment" and "The Alamo".  My favorite actress is Elizabeth Taylor, and my favorite actor is Clark Gable.

 

Favorite Music:

I was referenced in the song SuperBird by Country Joe and the Fish.

 

Friends:

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy  
• Lady Bird Johnson
• all the members of my administration 

Sports:

• horse-back riding 
• other than that, I'm not really a sports kind of guy...

 

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (at home) included:

 

Political

• I helped African-Americans by creating the Civil Rights Acts, which gave them the right to vote.  (They loved me for that...) The "black vote" that i created helped me gain popularity among the black community, and it ultimately gave me an advantage in votes.
• I doubled the expenditures on education :D

 

Social

• MY BELOVED CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTSSS!!!!!!!

• Since I was such a hard-worker during my presidency, I expected the same to be true from my Administration as well.  I pushed them very hard, and I was very demanding.  Many of them were not fond of me for that reason.  But we passed so many bills and helped so many people across the nation that it was all worth it

 

Economic

• I helped in the area of health by increasing Federal expenditures.
• To help the underpriveleged, i had, what others called a "War on Poverty". (Which, if i say so myself, was very successful =])
• After spending so much money on the Vietnam War, the time after my presidency (1970s) was a time of unemployment and economic decrease. 

 

 

During my stint as president, the political, social and economic factors and challenges that I had to deal with (abroad) included:

 

Political

• In the Dominican Republic, there was a Communist threat, which was easily overcome by U.S. military forces, and the democratic government and free elections were restored!!!!!!
• I spent hours and hours and even more tormented hours deliberating about The Vietnam War, which I only decided to enter to save South Vietnam from the Communist North.

 

Social

• I created a treaty with the Soviet Union and even a nuclear nonproliferation treaty was agreed to in Geneva.

 

Economic

• I supported South Vietnam because they faced the threat of North Vietnamese communism, while i wanted to spread democracy.
• After helping the Vietnam War economically, and the fact that the war was unsuccessful, the U.S. lost a lot of money, money that set back the country in the 1970s.

 

Looking back at my presidential career, I had to wear several "hats."  Wearing these different "hats," these were my most significant achievements and failures:

 

Chief Executive

When I first became chief executive, 16,000 American troops were sent to Vietnam.  This decision to enter the war was made in an effort to save South Vietnam from its rival, North Vietnam.  I know war is a last resort, but I strongly believe the people of South Vietnam were in great need of assistance against their fight against the communists.

Commander in Chief

In 1965 we decided that an increase in military support and the authorization of more American troops was the only logical way to end the Vietnam War, but then, my administration, the Johnson administration, decided to reduce the number of troops there in Vietnam.

Chief Diplomat

I had to make quick decisions and be able to negotiate.  I was very good at negotiating and getting what I wanted from the presidency.  I loved the power i got.

Ceremonial Head of State

As Ceremonial Head of State, my job was to portray the people's beliefs and try to get them involved in the government.  I did this by talking to the people, and recording my White House conversations.  This way, people could be informed about the important events happening in their country.

Manager of the Economy

The reason why the U.S. economy did so well under my Administration is because my economic policies were ground-breaking and ahead of their time.  I must say though, that my decision to unsuccessfully spend large amounts of money in an unsuccessful war had an impact on the economy after my presidency, when unemployment rose.

Party Leader

I helped the deprived people of the United States.  A true Democrat stands for the working class people, and i did all i could for them. (Emphasis on my War on Poverty....which i still say is quite successful :P)

National Leader

So....as National Leader, i sent our troops to Vietnam, to protect South Vietnam from the communist North.  I upped the amount of military to aid in the fight against communism later also :D.

 

 

Favorite Quote About Me by a Famous Historian:

"The long and costly war in Vietnam that Johnson had not avoided, could not win, and did not end will long remain the dark shadow on his record. The domestic legislation and the generous spirit that actuated it will be his shining monument when and if a longer perspective reduces at last the size of that shadow." - Henry F. Graff

 

 

PROPAGANDA:

 

 

 

Positive Political Cartoon

 

 

You know, some people used to tell me that I'd never be able to save the poorer Americans of this country or the ones who were discriminated against.  Being as stubborn as I was, I didn't believe them.  I followed my dream, despite some people's attempts to back away, and I helped in the Civil Rights Movement and in my War on Poverty.  I also helped the people of South Vietnam get away from their communist neighbors and gave them the attention they needed.  It just shows that you should never let yourself be brought down by other people, and always listen to your heart.

Negative Political Cartoon

 Unfortunately, some people thought I gave TOO MUCH attention to the Vietnam War, they weren't too pleased with the idea that I was focusing on international affairs while some issues happening right here in our home country.  This cartoon illustrates that I leaned more towards Vietnam than the U.S., a statement that I do not agree with.  I care very deeply about our American people, and I did everything in my power to help them.  But my duty is to the people of the world, too, not just to the people of my own country. 

 

Works Cited:

 

Author, Unknown. Contemporary Authors Online. 2008. 23 May 2008 <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>.
 

Author, Unknown. "Lyndon Baines Johnson." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 1998. 23 May 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC.

 

Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.:      Gale, 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

 

Democrats are we. (Online image) Available <http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Historical%20Page/lbj-     democratsarewe.JPG>. 21 May 2008.

 

LBJ for the USA. (Online image) Available <http://www.vintagedepotdirect.com/media/PS22.jpg>. 23 May 2008.

 

"Lyndon Baines Johnson." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.

     Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

 

"Lyndon Baines Johnson." Historic World Leaders. Gale Research, 1994. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC

 

Negative Cartoon:  http://www.binghamton.edu/ctah/student/lovell/herblock.gif

 

O'Neill , William L.. "Johnson, Lyndon Baines." The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives Thematic Series: The      1960s.. 2003. Charles Scribner's Sons. 23 May 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC.

Document 2: political cartoon by Herblock, Washington Post, 1967.  (Online image) Available      <http://www.binghamton.edu/ctah/student/lovell/herblock.gif>. 20 May 2008.