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LBJ never changed. He was a kiss ass of who ever he thought would give him a leg up. He was not an idealist. He was an immoral opportunist. The only good thing he had anything to do with was black suffrage. His policies stunted the U.S. and gave the American poor a taste for the public teet that they have never been able to be weaned from. He demoralized and enslaved a class of people creating a nanny society that few can get out from under the skirts of. An evil man who"s very disguises of compassion have born the only fruit they were capable of yeilding-- corrupt, putrid, and poisonous to the last offshoot.
@@PGar58 Yet he was the one who got it done. In a time when we can't handle grey complexity, it's hard for us to understand he got more than any world leader in 100 years. Don't love him as a person, in many many ways, but he made a difference.
Just a quick note: you have called California the Sunshine State a couple of times. California is the Golden State ... the Sunshine State is Florida. Video request ... Louis Leakey
This is a good biography. However I think you have severely understated his political mastery, particularly in the Senate. He did browbeat people at times, but he also persuaded with his charm, his story telling and his ability to know what made people tick. He outmanoeuvred his political enemies through sheer brilliance. Were it not for Vietnam LBJ might have gone down as one of the greatest presidents.
The browbeating, the buttonholing of his adversaries, the charm he dispensed to get their votes in the Senate was called 'the Johnson treatment.' He was a force of nature. Had LBJ undone what Kennedy had started, and pulled out the 16,000+ military from Vietnam shortly after becoming President, he would have gone down as the greatest President since Lincoln.
@Jack D Everyone and their uncle know that LBJ and RFK hated each other. The ENTIRE Kennedy family hated LBJ. So fricken what??? That means he had RFK Killed??? Ludicrous. When LBJ announced he was not seeing a 2nd term in March 1968, he was done with political life. He didn't care after that. His legacy was intact (Civil Rights) and he made his money.
@Jack D My apologies for conflating your initial comment with someone else's that suggested LBJ had RFK killed. As far as RFK, once LBJ announced that he was not running for a second term, he checked out. I'm convinced he didn't care who succeeded him, and once he left Washington, he was done and gone for good. Would LBJ have preferred Hubert over Bobby? Yes, but then again, he gave Humphrey little support in a very close election. As for Vietnam, Johnson could always say that it was JFK who first put the the military (16,000+) in Vietnam, and the policies (support of Diem and S. Vietnam) began under JFK, and he (LBJ) was just carrying them out. His tickets to posterity were Civil Rights, Medicare and Medicaid, mainly, and in the end, that's all he really cared about
Oh yeah i remember hearing people who were fresh into the real world after high school who said everyone was biting their nails with him in the mix of everything happening at this time of our story
I've always thought Lyndon Johnson as a minor player in the politics theater under Kennedy's shadow and, quite frankly, a bland character... Oh! How wrong was I!!
Peterson Taylor Being a big fan of the 60s I realised how pivotal LBJ was. But a lot of people may not; which is what made this video as great as it was. A home run by Simon and his team.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Kennedy didn't survive long enough to get a lot done. I like to think that Johnsons achievements were in Kennedy's spirit although his manner of getting things done leaves me shaking my head.
@@davidsan9654 I was going to say the same thing. In his other channel "Brain Blaze" he's quite clear that he just reads the scripts. Now on "Brain Blaze" (formerly Business Blaze) much more of Simon's personality is on display. He is quite fun to listen to.
LBJ stonewalled various civil rights bills. even as VP, he was able to thwart the bills. LBJ wanted to be president and he wanted the credit for passing the bills.
No, his father was outspoken in support of the Leo Frank case. (Frank's innocence) They were threatened by the KKK. Little Lyndon as a child had to hide in the cellar, while the men guarded the family. They were also "Christadelphians", who were quite supportive of Jews.
@@roxarecool Ending segregation, allowing millions of Americans to overcome poverty and giving minorities the right to vote among other things. You haven't learned about that in school yet?
@@roxarecool Yeah, the poverty line in the US dropped from forty million in 1959 to twenty eight million in 1968. That's how significant Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty was. I'd say the only thing he wasn't effective at was avoiding commitment to an unwinnable war in Vietnam.
LBJ without a doubt has the most complicated legacy of all US Presidents. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark as relevant today as it was when it was passed. He did as much to advance civil rights as any president before or since. At the same time he became obsessed with winning Vietnam which tore the country apart. ‘Hey hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?’ When Walter Cronkite made a scathing editorial about him LBJ said ‘if I’ve lost Cronkite I’ve lost America’. Despite his speech on 30 March 1968 that he would not run again for POTUS LBJ was still open to being drafted as the nominee. He also had complicated relationships. Hubert Humphrey was as loyal as they came; and while LBJ liked him he never quite trusted him and didn’t always treat him well. And these were his staunchest allies! Complicated, indeed.
Yeah, if only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly as US President.
Be mindful that JFK put 16,000+ military in Vietnam (up from < 500 during Eisenhower), and with the murder of Diem just a few weeks before JFK, if Kennedy had lived, he (JFK) was heading down the same path that LBJ took in 1965. He was stuck. McNamara said that in 'Fog of War.'
Absolutely loved that video. Johnson is probably the most difficult president to review objectively. I think you guys did a great job. LBJ, love him or hate him, you'll never forget him.
If Lyndon Johnson had avoided Vietnam and had he undone what JFK had started (putting 16,000 military in Vietnam), he would have gone down as the greatest President since Lincoln. As far as passing legislation, he out-Kennedied, Kennedy, he out Roosevelted, Roosevelt (Franklin and Teddy), and he did more for the African American than any President except Lincoln. LBJ was a political genius who forged relationships on both sides of the aisle, and not only passed the 3 most important pieces of civil rights legislation, but also over 100 bills. He was also a corrupt politician with 3-4 stolen elections to his credit, going back to his days as a student at Southwest Texas Teachers Community College - the poor boy's school. He came to Washington in 1931 as a congressional aide to Richard Kleberg with maybe $5 in his pocket, and he left Washington in January 1969 with a conservative net worth of between $30-$80 million.
You deleted cause you made no sense. But this does (below). And so does the FACT Lincoln only did what he did for his own personal gain. Neither one gave two shits... “The actual, and historically accurate, Johnson/King relationship can only be understood if it is considered in the context of Lyndon Johnson’s lifelong record of being a racist and segregationist. Throughout his career, he had aggressively resisted numerous attempts to eliminate the poll tax and literacy tests during the twenty-three-year period he served in the House and Senate. He then blocked every piece of meaningful civil rights legislation that had found its way into the Senate when he was its powerful majority leader. It was Lyndon Johnson who neutered the 1957 Civil Rights Act with a poison pill amendment that required violators of the act to be tried before state (all white), not federal, juries.”
@@jurgen-fritz Understand what I wrote above. I never said LBJ was greater than Lincoln, and who could reasonably make that claim against a President who preserved the union and freed the slaves? Lincoln is the greatest of all the Presidents with the possible exception of Washington. I know a good deal about Johnson, going back to his days as a student at Southwest Texas Teachers community college - poor boys school as he and others called it. If you’ve read Robert Caro’s 4 books on Johnson - as I have - your opinion of the man may change, or not. I believe he had a sincere interest of improving the plight of the poor, the disadvantaged - African Americans, Mexican Americans, young and old and there were examples of that. However, everything trumped his political ambition, his quest for power, but then again, you could say that about ALL Presidents -the quest for power - Lincoln included. In his rise to power, and the only job that truly mattered to him - the Presidency - Johnson forged relationships with those individuals who were both powerful and antipathetic towards Civil Rights, people like Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge. LBJ was their friend. That was key. They saw him as one of their own. And as Senate Majority leader in the 1950’s, yes, Johnson did block the passage of Civil Rights legislation. Civil Rights had a hard time getting passed going back to the 1930’s (if I’m correct), 1940’s, and 1950’s, passing the House, but dying in the Senate, thanks in large part to Senator Russell. In 1964, very shortly after becoming President, LBJ got the following Civil Rights legislation passed: (1) banning discrimination in hiring practices; and (2) banning discrimination in public places. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed. In 1967 (I believe), legislation was passed banning discrimination in housing. Four (4) very important pieces of Civil Rights legislation was passed during his presidency. In addition, approximately 100 other bills were passed during his term in office. This legislation was passed at a time when those hardened segregationists - racists, yes - were sitting in the Senate. Could Kennedy have accomplished this had he lived? Nope! Why, you ask? Because Kennedy never forged those relationships with those individuals who were the gatekeepers. Johnson got it done where Kennedy failed. THAT’S why I make the claim about LBJ. I judge greatness on what someone has done, what they've accomplished. And he accomplished A LOT. Johnson was a political genius who understood power, where and how to get it, and how to use it. If only he avoided Vietnam. And had Johnson pulled out of Vietnam (16,000+ military under JFK) from the start, yes, he would have been the greatest President going back to Lincoln.
@@jamesanthony5681 Exactly. A lot of people seem to give Kennedy the credit for civil rights, maybe because he's more well known, but had he lived to get a second term, he would not have gotten as much through, because he quite frankly wasn't very talented at passing legislation, at least compared to Johnson. I'd also add that during Johnson's presidency he worked towards passing Medicare and Medicaid, and started the War on Poverty, which has permanently reduced the poverty level in the U.S. from an average of 21% to around 15%.
@@curranfrank2854 Yes, I forgot to mention Medicare and Medicaid. Those southern senators saw LBJ as one of their own, and when Herman Talmadge was asked (after passage of Civil rights) what he thought Johnson's position was at the time in regards to the African American, he responded, "Master and Servant."
Lyndon B. Johnson, one of the most underrated Presidents of the United States. He is probably the most qualified man to have ever held the office (with regards to his experience in domestic policy) and pushed more legislation through Congress in 5 years than Donald J. Trump will in 8. Unfortunately, the one place where he did not have experience was in foreign affairs, and he is only remembered for his fallacy in Vietnam. P.S. - Lyndon Johnson's alma mater, Southwest Texas Teachers' College is known today as Texas State University. They love to brag about how they are one of the few universities outside the Ivy League to have ever had a President of the United States of America as an alumnist.
Lyndon Johnson is the worst president we’ve ever had he is responsible for tens of thousands of Americans dead in Vietnam and never did anything for anyone else Bobby Kennedy was right to go against LBJ who had him and jfk murdered
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." -LBJ
I was a teenager during the Vietnam war, while Johnson was president, I saw train after train pass by with tanks on them. That little memory is what I have of that president. He may have been a great man, but to me it was a sign of the cost of war.
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and be remembered even more fondly as US President.
How about an episode on Terry Fox, a Canadian who lost his leg due to cancer and ran coast to coast with his prosthetic leg. I think it would be a great episode.
Who wrote the Civil rights bill he signed? Dwight D Eisenhower, back in the '50s. Who fought against it when in Congress, didn't signed it until it was politically beneficial to him? 🤔 could be Johnson!!?
Johnson made sure the civil rights act of 57' passed, signed by Eisenhower, without tearing apart the democratic party. Kennedy couldn't pass a civil rights bill but it was Johnson knowing how the senate worked and being a southern president giving the 'treatment' to southern senators made it pass
@@jjp945Illinois Republican Senator Dirksen's political savvy was crucial to getting the bill passed. Johnson did his bargaining, that's true, but he wouldn't have gotten it passed without Dirksen.
@@rickgarcia7334 LBJ didn't fight against it he signed the act of 57'! Don't forget 10 years earlier it was democrat president Harry Truman that desegregated the military.
Eisenhower sent Federal troops into the south. Shock and awe. He effectively put an end to the civil war, 90 years after Rbt. E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Johnson's legacy is _not_ ending a war. It is drastically escalating an unwinnable war.
If only Johnson hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, his forceful personality might have achieved universal health care for the United States.
The Raisin and who appointed McNamara? I’m a Texan history and LBJ gets a bad rep without taking into account the complexity of history and human beings.
I think because of the Cold War and anything socialist like universal healthcare was just too radical for it's time. Because anything socialist makes you a Communist...
People really overlook Johnson too much for Vietnam, a situation he inherited and that had been brewing since the end of Korea. - The Great Society lifted tens of millions Americans out of deep poverty and into the affluent Middle Class. - Medicaid and Medicare gave tens of millions of Americans full coverage Health Insurance, and created a safety net for the lower class and the seniors who didn’t have to worry about not affording healthcare anymore. - The Civil and Voting Rights Act needs no introduction. - The Clean Air massively improved Air Quality and Standards across the country - He set the stage for the “detente”, where relations between the United States and The Soviet Union were greatly improved and stabilized. It also led to the SALT I and SALT II Nuclear Treaties between the US and USSR that effectively made the world sigh a breath of relief that the possibility of a Nuclear Apocalypse was now greatly minimized. - He paid off ~35% of the national debt, which went from 42% in 1963 to 28% in 1969 - The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 saw the establishment of the creation of the Department of Urban Housing and Development, and saw a record drop in homelessness numbers and a record high level of homeownership. - The Tax and Revenue Act of 1964 which oversaw of a correct form of tax and spending cuts, spurred personal incomes, small business revenue, increased consumption and capital investment, cut unemployment by almost 40% from 5.5% in 1963 to 3.4% in 1968. - Annual GDP Growth was at 5% throughout his presidency - Signed into law the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965, which gave Federal Monetary support to future investments in High Speed Rail. For a time, Development of high speed railway’s began in the United States, but the program was defunct by the Nixon Administration in favor of the establishment of Amtrak. Had the program continued, there most likely would’ve been an extensive high speed rail network in the USA today. These are just some points to as why LBJ needs to get praise and recognition. I consider him the 6th greatest president of all time.
@@WarCrimeGaming Precisely, he was deplorable, but one of the greatest presidents this country has had. Back in those days, this country was the greatest on earth. And then in comes Reagan, Trickle Down Economics, and Neoconservatism.
LBJ inherited NSAM 263, Kennedy's order to start the withdrawal from Vietnam. Johnson reversed it immediately and escalated. Johnson was a war criminal.
@@braydenbronstein1190 america was also great when it was under reagen its just that hes hated nowadays in the same way lbj was hated in the 70s and 80s its jsut a generational thing
1:40 - Chapter 1 - "Someday i'm gonna be president" 5:05 - Chapter 2 - The pursuit of power 8:45 - Mid roll ads 10:10 - Chapter 3 - Johnson rising 13:35 - Chapter 4 - A heartbeat from power 17:20 - Chapter 5 - "I will do my best, that's all i can do" 20:50 - Chapter 6 - America burning 24:10 - Chapter 7 - Collapse
He has the largest percentage of the popular vote in multi party elections in American history in 1964, winning 61.1% of the popular vote and 486 electoral votes. That was ~43 million popular votes compared to Barry Goldwater ~27 million
I was 9 when Johnson gave his speech announcing he would not run for reelection. I think what made me remember this was my parents, and other grown up's at the time, was they were so shocked at hearing this. No president had ever not run for a 2nd term in their lifetime, I think to them it was like he was quitting. Eisenhower in the 50's was the last to serve out 2 terms, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, had less than 2 terms. Reagan broke the cycle in 1981 as another 2 elected term president.
Yes he was a bigot like most WM of that time. Thank goodness he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s a simple concept black folks voted for the Republican Party for 100 years after slavery while still being lynched. We switched parties after the civil rights act was signed. It’s called voting for your best interests.
@@rr3901 You're actually incorrect the black vote switched in the 1930's. It was a result of FDR's new deal. Following emancipation many blacks struggled financially. FDR's new deal though it made many efforts to minimize it's helpfulness to the blacks provided just enough money for them to sustain themselves. As FDR put it he was creating the New Plantation. This was when the black vote switched. LBJ actively supported the KKK he did not pass the civil rights act because of a change of concious. He signed it so that he could guarantee control of the black vote to the Democratic party. This racism still persists today in the form of identity politics used by Democrats. This sense of entitlement to the black vote can be seen to today. With Biden recently saying, "If you don't vote for me you're not black".
@@brandon4379 You are actually correct. LBJ kinda sealed it though FDR was our biggest socialist to date till Obama came along. Now we have Neo-Marxist marching in the street usurping an honorable protest by BLM to make it something else and filling it with violence. The idiot Neo-Marxists actually think they'll be the ones in power if they win. Are they in for an eye opener. Just look at Russia's revolution in 1916/17. It was a republic only on paper. Time to save our nation and our constitution. Some dark days ahead.
I’d love to see one of these on Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who pushed a lot of the New Frontier and Great Society legislation through as chair of the House’s Education and Labor Committee. His committee pushed through 14 bills that became law in 14 months.
The "Great Society" is THE primary reason black America is SO PHUKED UP!! They bought in, and moved onto the welfare plantation and traded their family for free money.
According to Larry King, at a celebration after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed Harry Belafonte shook Johnson’s hand and said ‘Forgive me Mr. President, but do I have to thank you for my birthright?’ LBJ thought a minute and said ‘Of course not. You should NOT have to thank me for your birthright!’ After which the mood lightened greatly and LBJ joined in what became a party atmosphere. Great story.
There are other specials on him already, but would love to see and great 25 minute look at the life of CS Lewis from you guys. I always love your angle, presentation of these historical figures.
Yes he was a bigot like most WM of that time. Thank goodness he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s a simple concept black folks voted for the Republican Party for 100 years after slavery while still being lynched. We switched parties after the civil rights act was signed. It’s called voting for your best interests.
@@rr3901 yes thank goodness your vote could be so easily bought. Some government cheese and money you didn't earn, and you pledge loyalty to your new masters forever.
@@demandred1957 So much of this has to do with the "Socialist Dream". It truly is a bid to buy the votes and make everyone dependent upon the government. If you want to learn more I recommend Dinesh Desouza's book United States Of Socialism.
@@demandred1957 Republicans at that time felt entitled to the black vote. Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater didn't support Civil rights but he still expected the support of black Americans. Can someone please make that make sense?
This story is so bizarre. He ended up doing a lot of good but its terrifying to think what he would have accomplished if the pendulum swung the other way
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and he'd be remembered even more fondly as US President.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 And systematically destroying the black family by allowing single mothers to be married to the government and keeping black families under Democrat thumb.
@@Kaboomboo What do you mean? He was a pretty radical civil rights reformer who famously waged a war against racial discrimination, and was pretty passionate and aggressive in gaining support for his reforms to say the least.
Pres. Johnson's surplus food program fed my family when I was a teen. Real orange juice! Real butter! Powdered milk! Turned me into a lifelong Democrat.
So, you just blindly vote democrat because of that. Im sorry but anybody that vote blindly for a party should be banned from voting. That's incompetence! It should be mandatory to research and study a candidate before voting. Thats like gang type stuff when people vote like that.
Good lord are you misinformed!! How does calling blacks the N-word make you a good guy? A higher percentage of Republicans voted for the civil rights act than Dems, also. You ARE aware the KKK was a democrat organization and Jim Crow was from Democrats, no? LBJ was a racist POS.
@@oslang1 For his time, Lyndon Johnson was certainly open-minded. He obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his achievements as US President, right?
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Not HIS accomplishments so much. FDR is the guy I give respect to, despite the fact his first 2 terms did more damage to this country than even Obama. Tenfold, even. He set the stage for the bureaucratic nonsense we suffer under now. But he also managed the war beautifully and is mostly responsible for the A-bomb which almost certainly saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. But LBJ was just a bad guy, even relative to other presidents since Woodrow (the worst). I'll give him just as much credit for the civil rights act as the MSM will give Trump for criminal justice reform lol.
@@oslang1 If not for his forceful personality, segregation probably would have continued for much longer. I mean, other Democrats ( like JFK ) generally preached civil rights, but were incompetent in that area and the Republican Party at the time was just beginning to become obsessed with earning support using racism and support for segregation. It was Johnson's meanness that allowed him to do so much good.
In 1960 the rate of out-of-wedlock births in the black community in the US was about 17%. Then Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" began to be instituted. This resulted in eventually the rate of out of wedlock births among the black community to skyrocket to 70% by 2010! A complete and utter disaster. - LBJ's "War on Poverty", the welfare reform acts, combined with his 1964 Civil Rights Act were like a double barreled shotgun aimed straight at the heart of the institution of the black family . The passage of these basically blew their guts all over the landscape of American society, virtually destroying it.
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society allowed millions of Americans to overcome poverty. If only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly as US President.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 The poverty rates in the US at that time were already on the decline, at the rate of about 1% year for a half dozen years or so. Since then the amount of money that has gone into poverty programs has been staggering, yet poverty rates have mostly been stuck in a sideways range. His programs cost a fortune, and the results nonexistent, or if anything damaging. - Now the US has a $26.5 trillion federal debt, 132% of GDP, and over $140 trillion in unfunded mandates. Not to mention the 40% of out of wedlock births, there are over 80 government programs that can aid single mothers, basically negating the need for the father as head of household. Before LBJ that number was only about 5%. At some point this all has to stop. I expect a crash in the value of the US dollar soon.
@@ThorfinnSkullsplitter-fz7ff It cost money, but Johnson still introduced Medicare and Medicaid. Folks can risk their lives by not seeking private health care out of fear that they won't be able to afford it and those significantly lowered that possibility for senior citizens and the less well off in society. Without the drastic military spending for the Vietnam War, they could have been more easily achieved. That was one of Martin Luther King's reasons for criticizing the Vietnam War effort. Johnson also ushered in the Economic Opportunity Act and the Food Stamp Act, stuff for which government funding should exist. The war on poverty is generally accepted as a landmark achievement in the area of American public expenditure and social welfare.
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and be remembered even more fondly as US President.
Though Johnson passed the civil rights act it was not out of benevolence. The black vote switched in the 1930's. It was a result of FDR's new deal. Following emancipation many blacks struggled financially. FDR's new deal though it made many efforts to minimize it's helpfulness to the blacks provided just enough money for them to sustain themselves. As FDR put it he was creating the New Plantation. This was when the black vote switched. LBJ actively supported the KKK he did not pass the civil rights act because of a change of concious. He signed it so that he could guarantee control of the black vote to the Democratic party. This racism still persists today in the form of identity politics used by Democrats. This sense of entitlement to the black vote can be seen to today. With Biden recently saying, "If you don't vote for me you're not black".
What do you mean? The Democratic Party has overwhelmingly more support than Republicans from minorities and nominated the first African American US President. Lyndon Johnson was a pretty radical civil rights reformer. He famously waged a war against racial discrimination, and was pretty passionate and aggressive in gaining support for his reforms to say the least, despite massive political opposition. Specifically in the case of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. He also worked pretty closely with Martin Luther King Jr.
You have it exactly right. I wish everyone was willing to listen to the truth and realize what a corrupt bunch of phony hypocrites the Dem Party is. And no i don't support Trump eitber
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Yeah you're obviously one of the ignorant ones that the OP was talking about. LBJ didn't pass those laws out of his love for blacks, he did it purposefully to keep them under Democrats thumb by making them dependent on government funds which the Democrat party would provide. In fact it was the Democrats that famously held the longest filibuster in history to keep the Civil Rights Act from passing, led by Senator Albert Gore Sr., the father of 2000 Democrat presidential nominee Al Gore. I am not telling you these things to be rude or insulting, but you must know your history before putting up people on a pedestal as some sort of "savoir".
@@Kaboomboo I guess there's discrimination within all of us, but Lyndon Johnson was certainly open-minded for his time. His reforms weren't just going with the flow. He obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his achievements as US President. His social welfare programmes also allowed millions of Americans to overcome poverty. If only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly.
Republicans at that time felt entitled to the black vote. Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater didn't support Civil rights but he still expected the support of black Americans. Can someone please make that make sense?
The problem is politicians feel entitled to votes from a certain group without actively doing anything for them. They think just spewing a few promises is enough. Does that not make sense?
Tell the truth shame the devil I don’t know where you get your information on Republicans feeling entitled to the black votes, they were just the ones pushing legislation that benefitted blacks the most. Unlike the Democrats that feel entitled to the black vote today, and do nothing to help the black community, but only keep them from being successful. Just ask Uncle Joe, he’ll tell you “you ain’t black if you don’t vote for me”. And the reason why Goldwater didn’t support the 64 Civil Rights Act was due to 2 sections of the bill. Sections 2 and 7 that dealt with public accommodations and equal employment. He believed that those 2 sections were unconstitutional and should be left up to the states, he was very much in favor of the 10th Amendment. He also felt that it would be almost impossible to enforce and create ‘quotas” in hiring and housing, which it did. He felt that racism would buckle under the economical strain put on businesses that continued to oppress blacks. All you have to do is look at his record to see that he opposed racism. He was instrumental in the integration of the the National Guard and schools in his home state of Arizona. Goldwater supported, and voted for, every other civil rights bill. He was also a member of both the NAACP and the Urban League, back when both organizations actually helped the black community and not just raise money for Democrats. People like you like to use his vote against the bill to support the myth of the parties “switching”, despite the fact there were far more Democrats who voted against the bill. Johnson did benefit from the black vote over Goldwater because of his vote against the bill and further pushed the false narrative that the Democrats were the ones who cared about the black community. What the blacks gained with the 64 Civil Rights Act, they lost with Johnson’s “Great Society”. Those initiatives devastated the black family and took away the right for them to better themselves. Large government supported them, and in return, blacks voted for Democrats. This is how the ‘switch” happened, it wasn’t the parties switching, it was people moving from one area of the country to another. Northern states with large cities became Democratic strongholds due to the mostly black inner cities. The more dependent the black community became on the government, the more they voted for Democrats. And the Democrats never fix any problems because they need the votes. Fix the problems and allow people to succeed, they tend to vote for more freedoms and less taxes. If facts don’t help this make sense to you, you must truly be a liberal. Facts have always challenged liberals, they tend to ignore them and go with feelings. And that isn’t really a bad thing, just misguided. Some liberals honestly believe they are doing what is good for people by supporting them through social programs, again avoiding facts. Unfortunately, most every single Democrat in office knows they aren’t helping anyone, they are in it for the money and power.
@@mopar_dude9227 Goldwater was in favour of 'states' rights' not to recognize the rights of African American people, similarly to the Confederacy and sort of like the current Republican Party which believes in the right not to recognize people's rights with social welfare and the liberty of folks to flaunt the flags of an army that fought to conserve slavery and white supremacy.
@@mopar_dude9227 Goldwater also abandoned civil rights just to gain support from white southerners by appealing to racial discrimination. Lyndon Johnson, on the other hand, was a hardcore civil rights reformer who famously waged a war against racial discrimination, despite massive political opposition ( including from Goldwater ).
I think you missed the point. It didn't cost him the 1964 election--he won in a landslide. The Vietnam War caused him to withdraw from the 1968 election.
@@jamesclendon4811 I think he's trying to say that by supporting and passing the civil rights act he lost the support of the southern democrats and caused a lot of them to become republicans.
@@blaketurpeau1730 Well, neither party was really a true Southern Democrat party in the '64 election. On one hand, you had Lyndon Johnson who signed the '64 civil rights act, losing support in the south. On the other, you had Barry Goldwater, who was Jewish and supported desegregation, so not a popular candidate in the south either. However, Goldwater gained a little traction in not supporting the civil rights act of '64, but he did it since he thought it violated the first ammendment. He did, however, support the previous two. It wouldn't really matter in '68 anyway, since that was when George Wallace, governor of Alabama, made a 3rd party run for president, winning most of the deep south.
@The Life Analyst I guess it doesn't matter. Blacks are leaving the DNC plantation in droves. Within my lifetime I suspect we will see the Democrats lose the majority of black voters they have neglected and taken advantage of for so long. One simply has to look at the cities that have been under DNC control for decades and it is obvious that they help no one except themselves, and certainly not the black community. Trump has done more for blacks in 4 years than the DNC has in the last 4 decades, and that is why you all lie about him every second of every day. Joe Biden will lose to Trump far worse than Hillary did. Should I schedule you a welfare check for the day after the election? I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.
"I’ll have them n-words voting Democratic for two hundred years.” ~ L.B.J “That was the reason he was pushing the bill,” said MacMillan, who was present during the conversation. “Not because he wanted equality for everyone. It was strictly a political ploy for the Democratic party. He was phony from the word go.” I love this channel but I think the research regarding civil rights could have gone a little bit deeper.
There’s actually no proof he ever said that. It’s been a pretty persistent falsehood that has followed him around. Also if you read his journals and personal letters it’s pretty clear that he believes in what he’s doing, and thinks that equal rights for all is a very important task.
So far this is the best Biographics video from this channel.... I have no idea about the complexity of Lyndon Johnson legacy before... It is by far the most fascinating tale about President of United States. To use a TNG Trekkie analogy, this is 'The Inner Light' episode of this channel. :)
Thank you for a ‘Behind the Scenes’ bio; detailing a life greatly different from that in HS Government class textbooks. 😳 It’d be great to learn about Lady Bird & her legacy.
My great grandfather drank with LBJ on a fairly regular basis in Austin. Since they were both rooted in education, they were fast friends. To hear him tell of it, LBJ was one of the most racist men behind the scenes that you could ever imagine.
He wasn't wrong when he said "I'm afraid I've handed the south to the Republicans. It's a shame that's how it worked out, but it pretty much did lol. Most of my state (Tennessee) still support trump. I'm just like, really?-lol-
I still don't understand how a bench of sons and daughters of the South ended up fervently supporting an out of touch, spoiled, billionaire, New York City, Yankee, who had completely different politics only 10 years ago. Oh well.
@@2017NSDQ How would stuff like universal background checks and licenses for gun ownership be 'gun grabbing'? How are Democrats more 'rights infringing' than the folks who oppose the legalization of abortion and marijuana, support states' powers to execute people and deployed the military against overwhelmingly peaceful protests across the US?
@@bullmoosemedia He doesn't. But to some poor people, he's somehow just like them, 'cause he doesn't remind them that they're rich by trying to help them like Democrats do.
Bio request: some Canadian history, please! A few suggestions off the top: John A. Macdonald (Canada's perpetually drunk founding prime minister), Louis Riel (the Métis leader who declared war on Canada), Adrien Arcand (Canada's wannabe Führer), and of course our most flamboyant leader ever, Pierre Trudeau. Any of these would be fantastic.
The comment section here is just awful. Let me clear some things up, as someone who actually does hold degrees in American history with expertise in civil rights history: 1. It is a misnomer that "Democrats are the party of slavery and the KKK." Similarly, it is also false that the parties switched following the civil rights act. If you actually look at the break down of the voting for the civil rights act, it becomes more clear what has happened in American political history. Northern democrats voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill and southern democrats voted overwhelmingly opposed; southern republicans (the few that there were) voted overwhelmingly opposed and northern republicans voted overwhelmingly in favor. But Democrats in the south had a clear hold over southern politics, where republicans could not gain any foothold. The difference is that today republicans have switched their base of operations from the north to the south and democrats have switched from the south to the north; the south has always been much more conservative on racial issues, and thus the voters in the republican block became much more conservative on racial issues after the geography of the parties swapped. It's really just a testament to the enduring legacy of the civil war and the failure of reconstruction to protect African-Americans in the south. It's the reason you get the contradiction as people in the south claim to be "of the party of Lincoln" but fly confederate flags--the flag of the rebels that literally succeeded because they thought Lincoln was a threat to their slave holdings, and of the southern states that refused to even put Lincoln on the ballot in his first election. 2. There is no evidence LBJ ever said "with this, I'll have those N----- voting democrat for the next 200 years." Similarly, there is no evidence he said "with this, we have lost the south for a generation." But it does seem strange that he would say the former, given African-Americans had already been a solid base of support for the democratic party since the new deal (should point out that the new deal very frequently shut African-Americans out because of, once again--to make my point about the south vs north in America--southern democrats lobbying and threatening to not support FDR if he did allow black folk to profit through the new deal, but African-American regardless still saw it as a net positive to their prosperity and hope in the future); By 1960, 2/3 black voters were already voting democratic because they were already a part of the so-called "New Deal Coalition"
I have my ancestors voting records and your statement is not true. We didn't start voting with the Democrats until after the Civil Rights ACT of 1964. Maybe Thomas Sowell and his ilk voted with the klan but not normal black people.
@@truthseeker8970 And as for African American votes if that's what you're referring to, it once again doesn't matter how anyone's specific ancestor voted; the fact remains that African American's entered the new deal coalition and started largely voted democrat (in the north; in the south, they were still largely disenfranchised and found it difficult to cast their ballots and thus power remained in the hands of white political elites). In 1936, only about 26% of African Americans voted for Alf Landon (republican challenging FDR) on the national stage and since then, African American's in general really have never abandoned the new deal coalition
@@NeillGuitars the New Deal wasn't for AA, it was for poor whites not African Americans. You know all those European immigrants that were imported to make the US whyte to offset the large population of descendants of the enslaved.
@@truthseeker8970 But if you disagree with that you are more than willing to link me your source that African American's continued to largely vote republican until LBJ.
12:53 hit me out of nowhere. It's so, so easy to just get caught up in this moment, but one second can leave you thinking about the eternity that comes after.
LBJ was a cynical politician, but he got things done. He and fellow Democrats opposed civil rights legislation until African-American voting rights were restored. They abandoned the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, founded by abolitionists, for the party of FDR and LBJ.
It’s amazing how most of the best documentaries about US Presidents are either made or narrated by non-Americans. I learned about Woodrow Wilson’s racist mentality through you. Love these entries man. Thank you.
I like how well this Biographics episode information collaborates how Lyndon B. Johnson is depicted in the Netflix series, "The Crown." Excellent episodes, both series.
During the motorcade, Lyndon B. Johnson spotted some ugly racial epithets scrawled on signs. Late that night in the hotel, when the local dignitaries had finished the last bottles of bourbon and branch water and departed, Johnson started talking about those signs. “I’ll tell you what’s at the bottom of it,” he said. “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” -Bill Moyers
Watch the movie "LBJ". His selection as VP was not "an afterthought". RFK bitterly opposed the choice of Johnson but Kennedy knew if he wanted to win the South (as a Yankee) he needed Johnson. As for the election of 1964, there was a comment by a voter who said, "I was told if I voted for Goldwater we'd end up in a war in Vietnam. Well, I voted for Goldwater and, sure enough, we ended up in a war in Vietnam."
Ah yes, Lyndon B Johnson. The Most Imperfectly Perfect Politician. I adored every part of his presidency - The Good and Bad. Rest in Peace LBJ🇺🇸 (1908-1973) (5.11.21 23:58)
As a native Floridian, I feel it incumbent upon myself to inform you that California is not "The Sunshine State," and I'll thank you not to usurp any of my home state's monikers. Love the show, btw
Johnson had bi-polar disorder, which accounted for his Jekyll and Hyde behavior. Associates said he could be the sweetest man imaginable and also the biggest SOB imaginable.
His life may be that perfect example of how We are just mere PAWNS in this game of LIFE...Not controlling ANYTHING really as our destiny has already been laid out..... a complex man in appearance but a man put on this earth to carry out a mission beyond his own control 👀
The late Congressman John Lewis said of Lyndon Johnson: "I think Lyndon Johnson did more to free, to liberate Black Americans than any President, since Abraham Lincoln. "I think that if it hadn't been for Vietnam, he would be considered as one of the greatest Presidents of all time,"
LBJ didn’t give a damn about civil rights, or Black people for that matter. The *only* reason why he signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act was because he realized that if he was going to be Re-elected President later that year, he was (for the first time in America’s history), going to need the boost from African Americans. This was because African Americans in the mid 1960s were finally at the point where they were considered a pretty solidified voting bloc in America and most major Political campaigns throughout the country, weather for something as low as a City Council race all the way up to the Presidency, would now need to appeal to Black voters to really give themselves much of a chance. Lyndon B. Johnson knew this better and more crystal clear than most within his own Party and his inner circle. There was just one ‘small’ problem within this predicament. He absolutely detested Black folk and our culture, history, beliefs, values, etc. He, like many Democrats at the time, wanted absolutely nothing to do with us and would have made certain that we continued to struggle whilst having little to no freedoms if it weren’t for the fact that were now a powerful bloc of the country. So, when it became quite obvious that we were needed to keep him and his Democrat pals in office, he decided the best way to ensure we turned out for him in droves was to sign the Civil Rights Act that Republicans had floating around in Congress for months and then take credit for it as if it were his doing and his idea in the first place. Decades on from that, we still back the Democratic Party in an unhealthy manner. And for what? More Social programs? Shitty schools? Welfare? It’s time to start turning out for the Party that, while not inherently better than the Democrats, has Policies and ideas that a *majority* of Black Americans appeal to that will lift us up and are designed to help revitalize our community, as oppose to the same decades old policies that have stifled our communities. Vote Conservative this Tuesday, November 3rd, and In the next elections to come!
@The Life Analyst Goldwater. Not Republicans. Be more specific. Also, Goldwater supported the 1957 Civil Rights act. He didn't support the 64 act because in his words, he saw it as "overeach of the federal government". Genuine concern, though I disagree with his take. Stop spreading falsehoods
@The Life Analyst And anyway you slice it, my points about LBJ are valid. He didn't actually want Blacks and other minorities to have Civil rights. He only gave them such rights to ensure his Political survival.
@@JdDiehl Goldwater abandoned civil rights just to gain more support from white southern voters by appealing to racism and support for segregation. He was for states' rights not to recognise the rights of African Americans, just like the Confederacy. He clearly wasn't a hardcore civil rights reformer like Lyndon Johnson.
Well done Simon! This is truly one of the most intriguing characters in American politics and definitely deserving of a thorough examination, warts and all.
One of the most rotten and corrupt you mean. What he did with Vietnam and his appointing The Warren Commission ,and all the endless lies of both, causing irreparable damage to this country, should have sent him to prison.
Go to go.thoughtleaders.io/1864520200707 for unlimited access to the world’s top documentaries and nonfiction series, and for our listeners, enter the promo code BIOGRAPHICS when prompted during the signup process and your membership is completely free for the first 30 days.
Can’t you trim the beard and just keep a really nice moustache?
Ummm, Florida is the sunshine state, California is “the nature state”
The sunshine state is FLORIDA you idiot.
CALIFORNIA is the GOLDEN STATE!!!
Mate can you please do a video of the tragic life of Albizu Campos
LBJ never changed. He was a kiss ass of who ever he thought would give him a leg up. He was not an idealist. He was an immoral opportunist. The only good thing he had anything to do with was black suffrage. His policies stunted the U.S. and gave the American poor a taste for the public teet that they have never been able to be weaned from. He demoralized and enslaved a class of people creating a nanny society that few can get out from under the skirts of. An evil man who"s very disguises of compassion have born the only fruit they were capable of yeilding-- corrupt, putrid, and poisonous to the last offshoot.
"To say Johnson was playing dirty, was probably in insult to dirt" - What a genius phrase, mind if I steal it?
Lukas Jansen Knock yourself out!
@@PGar58 Yet he was the one who got it done. In a time when we can't handle grey complexity, it's hard for us to understand he got more than any world leader in 100 years. Don't love him as a person, in many many ways, but he made a difference.
0the0ambient0, well said
@@0the0ambient0 Asides from the Civil Rights Act, only for worse.
@@lonestarasshole584 Very, very myopic viewpoint.
We've had two presidents named Johnson and both became president after the last guy got shot in the back of the head.
And both were horrible.
And both somehow lost the '68 election
@dfdgdfdf wasn't andrew johnson republican?
@@San_Deep2501 no, he ran on a national union party with Lincoln, but Johnson was never a Republican
@@andrewsutherland133 yea, i didn't know that when i put that reply. Later, i learned about it. Cheers!
Just a quick note: you have called California the Sunshine State a couple of times. California is the Golden State ... the Sunshine State is Florida.
Video request ... Louis Leakey
Yes, as long as his wife, Mary, gets her due credit.
I was just going to say the same thing. I've noticed simply mistakes like this often here
Thank god I wasn't the only one who noticed
@Jay Ro yeah im australian, never been to america and i hate to say i didnt realise there was a difference haha
Reminder that California voted yes for proposition that makes it legal to discriminate people based on their color of their skin.
This is a good biography.
However I think you have severely understated his political mastery, particularly in the Senate. He did browbeat people at times, but he also persuaded with his charm, his story telling and his ability to know what made people tick. He outmanoeuvred his political enemies through sheer brilliance.
Were it not for Vietnam LBJ might have gone down as one of the greatest presidents.
Michael Gambon in Path to War
@Jack D Rubbish.
The browbeating, the buttonholing of his adversaries, the charm he dispensed to get their votes in the Senate was called 'the Johnson treatment.' He was a force of nature.
Had LBJ undone what Kennedy had started, and pulled out the 16,000+ military from Vietnam shortly after becoming President, he would have gone down as the greatest President since Lincoln.
@Jack D Everyone and their uncle know that LBJ and RFK hated each other. The ENTIRE Kennedy family hated LBJ. So fricken what??? That means he had RFK Killed??? Ludicrous.
When LBJ announced he was not seeing a 2nd term in March 1968, he was done with political life. He didn't care after that. His legacy was intact (Civil Rights) and he made his money.
@Jack D My apologies for conflating your initial comment with someone else's that suggested LBJ had RFK killed.
As far as RFK, once LBJ announced that he was not running for a second term, he checked out. I'm convinced he didn't care who succeeded him, and once he left Washington, he was done and gone for good. Would LBJ have preferred Hubert over Bobby? Yes, but then again, he gave Humphrey little support in a very close election.
As for Vietnam, Johnson could always say that it was JFK who first put the the military (16,000+) in Vietnam, and the policies (support of Diem and S. Vietnam) began under JFK, and he (LBJ) was just carrying them out. His tickets to posterity were Civil Rights, Medicare and Medicaid, mainly, and in the end, that's all he really cared about
A true anti-hero.
Yea
Oh yeah i remember hearing people who were fresh into the real world after high school who said everyone was biting their nails with him in the mix of everything happening at this time of our story
I argue villain, he probably was complicit in Kennedys death.
@@DrSPF23 any proof?
Without LBJ America wouldn't have the civil rights that he sign the bill of in 1964 and the voters rights act
I've always thought Lyndon Johnson as a minor player in the politics theater under Kennedy's shadow and, quite frankly, a bland character...
Oh! How wrong was I!!
Yeah, Kennedy's role in civil rights is pretty overrated.
Peterson Taylor Being a big fan of the 60s I realised how pivotal LBJ was. But a lot of people may not; which is what made this video as great as it was. A home run by Simon and his team.
Totally wrong. LBJ was a fascinating powerhouse of politics.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Kennedy didn't survive long enough to get a lot done. I like to think that Johnsons achievements were in Kennedy's spirit although his manner of getting things done leaves me shaking my head.
Nah he was lively. He hated Black people so much he destroyed their families and opptunities.
"Johnson Rising" Simons subtle humor never gets old.
You don't think it was more likely the writer/producers?
@@davidsan9654 I was going to say the same thing. In his other channel "Brain Blaze" he's quite clear that he just reads the scripts.
Now on "Brain Blaze" (formerly Business Blaze) much more of Simon's personality is on display. He is quite fun to listen to.
“Books and UA-cam channels are the most effective weapons against intolerance and ignorance.”
― Lyndon Baines Johnson
And sadly... then came modern times. :(
Good one. I wonder how many here don't realize this is a joke 😨
True quote.
Yes they also censored and rewrote some of his bad history of the black community .
"Just make sure they're all on the side you already agree with and never once step outside of that bubble."
LBJ was also pretty integral in making sure Apollo and JFK’s goal was completed.....
He was also in the KKK. Let's not forget
LBJ stonewalled various civil rights bills.
even as VP, he was able to thwart the bills.
LBJ wanted to be president and he wanted the credit for passing the bills.
No, his father was outspoken in support of the Leo Frank case.
(Frank's innocence)
They were threatened by the KKK.
Little Lyndon as a child had to hide in the cellar, while the men guarded the family.
They were also "Christadelphians",
who were quite supportive of Jews.
@@Infamous1892 In the KKK? At what period in his life, and what's your source?
@@Infamous1892 Johnson was never in the KKK!!!! Let's not forget that.
Was he a good person? No.
Was he effective? Absolutely.
Effective at what? Making crime, illegitamacy, and suicide skyrocket?
@@roxarecool much of the progress made in the United States wouldn’t have been possible without LBJ’s ruthless style of governing.
@@roxarecool Ending segregation, allowing millions of Americans to overcome poverty and giving minorities the right to vote among other things. You haven't learned about that in school yet?
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Black poverty levels were falling well before 1964. It was only until the 70’s that they stopped entirely.
@@roxarecool Yeah, the poverty line in the US dropped from forty million in 1959 to twenty eight million in 1968. That's how significant Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty was. I'd say the only thing he wasn't effective at was avoiding commitment to an unwinnable war in Vietnam.
LBJ without a doubt has the most complicated legacy of all US Presidents. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark as relevant today as it was when it was passed. He did as much to advance civil rights as any president before or since. At the same time he became obsessed with winning Vietnam which tore the country apart. ‘Hey hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?’ When Walter Cronkite made a scathing editorial about him LBJ said ‘if I’ve lost Cronkite I’ve lost America’. Despite his speech on 30 March 1968 that he would not run again for POTUS LBJ was still open to being drafted as the nominee.
He also had complicated relationships. Hubert Humphrey was as loyal as they came; and while LBJ liked him he never quite trusted him and didn’t always treat him well. And these were his staunchest allies!
Complicated, indeed.
Yeah, if only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly as US President.
@Cecil Gordon lol wrong, it's glossed over because he's a Democrat.
Be mindful that JFK put 16,000+ military in Vietnam (up from < 500 during Eisenhower), and with the murder of Diem just a few weeks before JFK, if Kennedy had lived, he (JFK) was heading down the same path that LBJ took in 1965. He was stuck. McNamara said that in 'Fog of War.'
What's complicated? Hated Blacks, destroyed they're communities, killed their leaders, former KKK member. It's simple.
More than Nixon?
Absolutely loved that video. Johnson is probably the most difficult president to review objectively. I think you guys did a great job. LBJ, love him or hate him, you'll never forget him.
If Lyndon Johnson had avoided Vietnam and had he undone what JFK had started (putting 16,000 military in Vietnam), he would have gone down as the greatest President since Lincoln. As far as passing legislation, he out-Kennedied, Kennedy, he out Roosevelted, Roosevelt (Franklin and Teddy), and he did more for the African American than any President except Lincoln.
LBJ was a political genius who forged relationships on both sides of the aisle, and not only passed the 3 most important pieces of civil rights legislation, but also over 100 bills. He was also a corrupt politician with 3-4 stolen elections to his credit, going back to his days as a student at Southwest Texas Teachers Community College - the poor boy's school. He came to Washington in 1931 as a congressional aide to Richard Kleberg with maybe $5 in his pocket, and he left Washington in January 1969 with a conservative net worth of between $30-$80 million.
You don’t know much about Lincoln. You should do your research
You deleted cause you made no sense. But this does (below). And so does the FACT Lincoln only did what he did for his own personal gain. Neither one gave two shits...
“The actual, and historically accurate, Johnson/King relationship can only be understood if it is considered in the context of Lyndon Johnson’s lifelong record of being a racist and segregationist. Throughout his career, he had aggressively resisted numerous attempts to eliminate the poll tax and literacy tests during the twenty-three-year period he served in the House and Senate. He then blocked every piece of meaningful civil rights legislation that had found its way into the Senate when he was its powerful majority leader. It was Lyndon Johnson who neutered the 1957 Civil Rights Act with a poison pill amendment that required violators of the act to be tried before state (all white), not federal, juries.”
@@jurgen-fritz
Understand what I wrote above.
I never said LBJ was greater than Lincoln, and who could reasonably make that claim against a President who preserved the union and freed the slaves? Lincoln is the greatest of all the Presidents with the possible exception of Washington.
I know a good deal about Johnson, going back to his days as a student at Southwest Texas Teachers community college - poor boys school as he and others called it. If you’ve read Robert Caro’s 4 books on Johnson - as I have - your opinion of the man may change, or not. I believe he had a sincere interest of improving the plight of the poor, the disadvantaged - African Americans, Mexican Americans, young and old and there were examples of that. However, everything trumped his political ambition, his quest for power, but then again, you could say that about ALL Presidents -the quest for power - Lincoln included.
In his rise to power, and the only job that truly mattered to him - the Presidency - Johnson forged relationships with those individuals who were both powerful and antipathetic towards Civil Rights, people like Richard Russell and Herman Talmadge. LBJ was their friend. That was key. They saw him as one of their own. And as Senate Majority leader in the 1950’s, yes, Johnson did block the passage of Civil Rights legislation. Civil Rights had a hard time getting passed going back to the 1930’s (if I’m correct), 1940’s, and 1950’s, passing the House, but dying in the Senate, thanks in large part to Senator Russell.
In 1964, very shortly after becoming President, LBJ got the following Civil Rights legislation passed:
(1) banning discrimination in hiring practices; and
(2) banning discrimination in public places.
In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed. In 1967 (I believe), legislation was passed banning discrimination in housing.
Four (4) very important pieces of Civil Rights legislation was passed during his presidency. In addition, approximately 100 other bills were passed during his term in office. This legislation was passed at a time when those hardened segregationists - racists, yes - were sitting in the Senate. Could Kennedy have accomplished this had he lived? Nope! Why, you ask? Because Kennedy never forged those relationships with those individuals who were the gatekeepers. Johnson got it done where Kennedy failed. THAT’S why I make the claim about LBJ. I judge greatness on what someone has done, what they've accomplished. And he accomplished A LOT. Johnson was a political genius who understood power, where and how to get it, and how to use it. If only he avoided Vietnam. And had Johnson pulled out of Vietnam (16,000+ military under JFK) from the start, yes, he would have been the greatest President going back to Lincoln.
And what I’ve said above has been said by others.
@@jamesanthony5681 Exactly. A lot of people seem to give Kennedy the credit for civil rights, maybe because he's more well known, but had he lived to get a second term, he would not have gotten as much through, because he quite frankly wasn't very talented at passing legislation, at least compared to Johnson. I'd also add that during Johnson's presidency he worked towards passing Medicare and Medicaid, and started the War on Poverty, which has permanently reduced the poverty level in the U.S. from an average of 21% to around 15%.
@@curranfrank2854 Yes, I forgot to mention Medicare and Medicaid. Those southern senators saw LBJ as one of their own, and when Herman Talmadge was asked (after passage of Civil rights) what he thought Johnson's position was at the time in regards to the African American, he responded, "Master and Servant."
Lyndon B. Johnson, one of the most underrated Presidents of the United States. He is probably the most qualified man to have ever held the office (with regards to his experience in domestic policy) and pushed more legislation through Congress in 5 years than Donald J. Trump will in 8. Unfortunately, the one place where he did not have experience was in foreign affairs, and he is only remembered for his fallacy in Vietnam.
P.S. - Lyndon Johnson's alma mater, Southwest Texas Teachers' College is known today as Texas State University. They love to brag about how they are one of the few universities outside the Ivy League to have ever had a President of the United States of America as an alumnist.
him and nixon had the best domestic programs of all time
domestic policy A+ foreign policy F
Lyndon Johnson is the worst president we’ve ever had he is responsible for tens of thousands of Americans dead in Vietnam and never did anything for anyone else Bobby Kennedy was right to go against LBJ who had him and jfk murdered
Eww
"The Most Complicated President" is a more than fitting title and maybe even an understatement at how complicated his legacy is.
"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." -LBJ
He was an ass. For sure.
An asshole but he's willing to share the tactics of his kind.
@@jamier65551 Well, he obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his achievements as US President, right?
@@cherylcampbell9369 What do you mean?
Is he wrong?
"The past changes a little every time we retell it."
-- Hilary Mantel
“The past is not subject to speculation; history is history.”
- George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ
"The past changes everytime we tell it."
-- Hilary Mondale
I was a teenager during the Vietnam war, while Johnson was president, I saw train after train pass by with tanks on them. That little memory is what I have of that president. He may have been a great man, but to me it was a sign of the cost of war.
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and be remembered even more fondly as US President.
He wasn't a great man.
Someone who treats his employees like trash isn’t someone I’d call a great man but I understand what you’re saying.
Didn't he make a lot of money from the stocks he invested in the military-related companies?
How about an episode on Terry Fox, a Canadian who lost his leg due to cancer and ran coast to coast with his prosthetic leg. I think it would be a great episode.
Hold my Dr Pepper, Forest Gump
Nothing interesting about a cripple running
@@shAdOwstAlkEr945 this is bait
@@bmac4 100 percent lol.
He didn't make it all the way. But he was an inspiration.
Who wrote the Civil rights bill he signed? Dwight D Eisenhower, back in the '50s. Who fought against it when in Congress, didn't signed it until it was politically beneficial to him? 🤔 could be Johnson!!?
Johnson made sure the civil rights act of 57' passed, signed by Eisenhower, without tearing apart the democratic party.
Kennedy couldn't pass a civil rights bill but it was Johnson knowing how the senate worked and being a southern president giving the 'treatment' to southern senators made it pass
@@jjp945Illinois Republican Senator Dirksen's political savvy was crucial to getting the bill passed. Johnson did his bargaining, that's true, but he wouldn't have gotten it passed without Dirksen.
They fought against it so Eisenhower and Republicans wouldn't get the credit.
@@rickgarcia7334 LBJ didn't fight against it he signed the act of 57'! Don't forget 10 years earlier it was democrat president Harry Truman that desegregated the military.
Eisenhower sent Federal troops into the south.
Shock and awe. He effectively put an end to the civil war, 90 years after Rbt. E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Johnson's legacy is _not_ ending a war. It is drastically escalating an unwinnable war.
If only Johnson hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, his forceful personality might have achieved universal health care for the United States.
Maybe.
The Raisin and who appointed McNamara? I’m a Texan history and LBJ gets a bad rep without taking into account the complexity of history and human beings.
Its plausible he may have won a Second Term in Office hadn't he got the US involved in Vietnam.
I think because of the Cold War and anything socialist like universal healthcare was just too radical for it's time. Because anything socialist makes you a Communist...
@@shaunmattice6413 du
People really overlook Johnson too much for Vietnam, a situation he inherited and that had been brewing since the end of Korea.
- The Great Society lifted tens of millions Americans out of deep poverty and into the affluent Middle Class.
- Medicaid and Medicare gave tens of millions of Americans full coverage Health Insurance, and created a safety net for the lower class and the seniors who didn’t have to worry about not affording healthcare anymore.
- The Civil and Voting Rights Act needs no introduction.
- The Clean Air massively improved Air Quality and Standards across the country
- He set the stage for the “detente”, where relations between the United States and The Soviet Union were greatly improved and stabilized. It also led to the SALT I and SALT II Nuclear Treaties between the US and USSR that effectively made the world sigh a breath of relief that the possibility of a Nuclear Apocalypse was now greatly minimized.
- He paid off ~35% of the national debt, which went from 42% in 1963 to 28% in 1969
- The Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 saw the establishment of the creation of the Department of Urban Housing and Development, and saw a record drop in homelessness numbers and a record high level of homeownership.
- The Tax and Revenue Act of 1964 which oversaw of a correct form of tax and spending cuts, spurred personal incomes, small business revenue, increased consumption and capital investment, cut unemployment by almost 40% from 5.5% in 1963 to 3.4% in 1968.
- Annual GDP Growth was at 5% throughout his presidency
- Signed into law the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965, which gave Federal Monetary support to future investments in High Speed Rail. For a time, Development of high speed railway’s began in the United States, but the program was defunct by the Nixon Administration in favor of the establishment of Amtrak. Had the program continued, there most likely would’ve been an extensive high speed rail network in the USA today.
These are just some points to as why LBJ needs to get praise and recognition. I consider him the 6th greatest president of all time.
I completely agree with you. Lyndon B. Johnson was a terrible human, but a great president.
@@WarCrimeGaming
Precisely, he was deplorable, but one of the greatest presidents this country has had. Back in those days, this country was the greatest on earth.
And then in comes Reagan, Trickle Down Economics, and Neoconservatism.
LBJ inherited NSAM 263, Kennedy's order to start the withdrawal from Vietnam. Johnson reversed it immediately and escalated. Johnson was a war criminal.
@@braydenbronstein1190 america was also great when it was under reagen its just that hes hated nowadays in the same way lbj was hated in the 70s and 80s its jsut a generational thing
1:40 - Chapter 1 - "Someday i'm gonna be president"
5:05 - Chapter 2 - The pursuit of power
8:45 - Mid roll ads
10:10 - Chapter 3 - Johnson rising
13:35 - Chapter 4 - A heartbeat from power
17:20 - Chapter 5 - "I will do my best, that's all i can do"
20:50 - Chapter 6 - America burning
24:10 - Chapter 7 - Collapse
He has the largest percentage of the popular vote in multi party elections in American history in 1964, winning 61.1% of the popular vote and 486 electoral votes. That was ~43 million popular votes compared to Barry Goldwater ~27 million
Wait until you see what Joe does!
@@richardmarty9939 "only" 51.1% of the popular vote and 306 Electoral Votes. But nonetheless, more than enough to become President
I was 9 when Johnson gave his speech announcing he would not run for reelection. I think what made me remember this was my parents, and other grown up's at the time, was they were so shocked at hearing this. No president had ever not run for a 2nd term in their lifetime, I think to them it was like he was quitting. Eisenhower in the 50's was the last to serve out 2 terms, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, had less than 2 terms. Reagan broke the cycle in 1981 as another 2 elected term president.
I have goosebumps after that ending. This is one of your best ones yet!
The writing on this one was terrific. Well done. Whoever wrote this script, use them again!
“we will have these ‘ *racist expletive word* ‘ voting for us for the next 200 years”-lbj
Yes he was a bigot like most WM of that time. Thank goodness he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s a simple concept black folks voted for the Republican Party for 100 years after slavery while still being lynched. We switched parties after the civil rights act was signed. It’s called voting for your best interests.
Let's get that out there. He was no saint.
@@rr3901 You're actually incorrect the black vote switched in the 1930's. It was a result of FDR's new deal. Following emancipation many blacks struggled financially. FDR's new deal though it made many efforts to minimize it's helpfulness to the blacks provided just enough money for them to sustain themselves. As FDR put it he was creating the New Plantation. This was when the black vote switched. LBJ actively supported the KKK he did not pass the civil rights act because of a change of concious. He signed it so that he could guarantee control of the black vote to the Democratic party. This racism still persists today in the form of identity politics used by Democrats. This sense of entitlement to the black vote can be seen to today. With Biden recently saying, "If you don't vote for me you're not black".
@@brandon4379 You are actually correct. LBJ kinda sealed it though FDR was our biggest socialist to date till Obama came along. Now we have Neo-Marxist marching in the street usurping an honorable protest by BLM to make it something else and filling it with violence. The idiot Neo-Marxists actually think they'll be the ones in power if they win. Are they in for an eye opener. Just look at Russia's revolution in 1916/17. It was a republic only on paper. Time to save our nation and our constitution. Some dark days ahead.
Jeremy Honeycutt why was Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater so so against Civil Rights protections?
I’d love to see one of these on Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who pushed a lot of the New Frontier and Great Society legislation through as chair of the House’s Education and Labor Committee. His committee pushed through 14 bills that became law in 14 months.
The "Great Society" is THE primary reason black America is SO PHUKED UP!! They bought in, and moved onto the welfare plantation and traded their family for free money.
According to Larry King, at a celebration after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed Harry Belafonte shook Johnson’s hand and said ‘Forgive me Mr. President, but do I have to thank you for my birthright?’ LBJ thought a minute and said ‘Of course not. You should NOT have to thank me for your birthright!’ After which the mood lightened greatly and LBJ joined in what became a party atmosphere.
Great story.
..... he was a racist. Look at the damage that legislation has done!!!
There are other specials on him already, but would love to see and great 25 minute look at the life of CS Lewis from you guys. I always love your angle, presentation of these historical figures.
We've tied up the N vote for 200 year - Lyndon b johnson
Yes he was a bigot like most WM of that time. Thank goodness he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s a simple concept black folks voted for the Republican Party for 100 years after slavery while still being lynched. We switched parties after the civil rights act was signed. It’s called voting for your best interests.
@@rr3901 yes thank goodness your vote could be so easily bought. Some government cheese and money you didn't earn, and you pledge loyalty to your new masters forever.
@@demandred1957 So much of this has to do with the "Socialist Dream". It truly is a bid to buy the votes and make everyone dependent upon the government. If you want to learn more I recommend Dinesh Desouza's book United States Of Socialism.
@@demandred1957 Republicans at that time felt entitled to the black vote. Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater didn't support Civil rights but he still expected the support of black Americans. Can someone please make that make sense?
Nordic Nightmare
A quote that can’t be verified!
What prove do you have that he said that?
This story is so bizarre. He ended up doing a lot of good but its terrifying to think what he would have accomplished if the pendulum swung the other way
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and he'd be remembered even more fondly as US President.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 ok ok! Got it!
@@CulturalMarxist4985 And systematically destroying the black family by allowing single mothers to be married to the government and keeping black families under Democrat thumb.
@@Kaboomboo What do you mean? He was a pretty radical civil rights reformer who famously waged a war against racial discrimination, and was pretty passionate and aggressive in gaining support for his reforms to say the least.
@@Kaboomboo Specifically in the case of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
You really have to love Simon's dry yet slyly wicked sense of humor
I love your show, Simon! As a history teacher, I listen to this program for fun!
Plummeted to 40%?
Simon, some politicians might consider 40% as having their base unified!
Gotta love a Texan as President.
Ike and Lbj.
Pres. Johnson's surplus food program fed my family when I was a teen. Real orange juice! Real butter! Powdered milk! Turned me into a lifelong Democrat.
So, you just blindly vote democrat because of that. Im sorry but anybody that vote blindly for a party should be banned from voting. That's incompetence! It should be mandatory to research and study a candidate before voting. Thats like gang type stuff when people vote like that.
That was superb Simon. As all of your videos are.
Lyndon Johnson: Waged a war against racial discrimination despite massive political opposition.
Comments: "Was he really a civil rights President?"
It was a lot more complicated than that.
The most underrated American president!
He did so much good for the country and minorities that is still protecting ALL marginalized people!
Lolz
Good lord are you misinformed!! How does calling blacks the N-word make you a good guy? A higher percentage of Republicans voted for the civil rights act than Dems, also. You ARE aware the KKK was a democrat organization and Jim Crow was from Democrats, no? LBJ was a racist POS.
@@oslang1 For his time, Lyndon Johnson was certainly open-minded. He obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his achievements as US President, right?
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Not HIS accomplishments so much. FDR is the guy I give respect to, despite the fact his first 2 terms did more damage to this country than even Obama. Tenfold, even. He set the stage for the bureaucratic nonsense we suffer under now. But he also managed the war beautifully and is mostly responsible for the A-bomb which almost certainly saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. But LBJ was just a bad guy, even relative to other presidents since Woodrow (the worst). I'll give him just as much credit for the civil rights act as the MSM will give Trump for criminal justice reform lol.
@@oslang1 If not for his forceful personality, segregation probably would have continued for much longer. I mean, other Democrats ( like JFK ) generally preached civil rights, but were incompetent in that area and the Republican Party at the time was just beginning to become obsessed with earning support using racism and support for segregation. It was Johnson's meanness that allowed him to do so much good.
You should do one of these videos on Alexander Hamilton.
He doesn’t want to throw away his shot.
*everyone boos loudly
I’ll see myself out, lol
Oh no Mr Hamilton. It is not your intelligence I am questioning..... IT IS YOUR SANITY! Good day Mr. Hamilton
Which one ? The real one or Miguel Cervantes ?
@@adorabledeplorable5105 eh. Who cares.
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
― Winston S. Churchill
“What does that have anything to do with this video?”
- Oh hi there
Gallipoli and Gandhi disagrees.
In 1960 the rate of out-of-wedlock births in the black community in the US was about 17%. Then Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" began to be instituted. This resulted in eventually the rate of out of wedlock births among the black community to skyrocket to 70% by 2010! A complete and utter disaster.
-
LBJ's "War on Poverty", the welfare reform acts, combined with his 1964 Civil Rights Act were like a
double barreled shotgun aimed straight at the heart of the institution of the black family . The passage of these basically blew their guts all over the landscape of American society, virtually destroying it.
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society allowed millions of Americans to overcome poverty. If only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly as US President.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 The poverty rates in the US at that time were already on the decline, at the rate of about 1% year for a half dozen years or so. Since then the amount of money that has gone into poverty programs has been staggering, yet poverty rates have mostly been stuck in a sideways range. His programs cost a fortune, and the results nonexistent, or if anything damaging.
-
Now the US has a $26.5 trillion federal debt, 132% of GDP, and over $140 trillion in unfunded mandates. Not to mention the 40% of out of wedlock births, there are over 80 government programs that can aid single mothers, basically negating the need for the father as head of household. Before LBJ that number was only about 5%.
At some point this all has to stop. I expect a crash in the value of the US dollar soon.
@@ThorfinnSkullsplitter-fz7ff It cost money, but Johnson still introduced Medicare and Medicaid. Folks can risk their lives by not seeking private health care out of fear that they won't be able to afford it and those significantly lowered that possibility for senior citizens and the less well off in society. Without the drastic military spending for the Vietnam War, they could have been more easily achieved. That was one of Martin Luther King's reasons for criticizing the Vietnam War effort. Johnson also ushered in the Economic Opportunity Act and the Food Stamp Act, stuff for which government funding should exist. The war on poverty is generally accepted as a landmark achievement in the area of American public expenditure and social welfare.
My favorite president. This dude was a blunt instrument that got things done.
Yeah, if only he hadn't been so committed to an unwinnable war, he might have achieved universal health care for the United States and be remembered even more fondly as US President.
Earnest Scribbler facts
LMAO 10:05 "Johnson Rising" I see what you did there...
You must be fun at parties, Cecil.
Though Johnson passed the civil rights act it was not out of benevolence. The black vote switched in the 1930's. It was a result of FDR's new deal. Following emancipation many blacks struggled financially. FDR's new deal though it made many efforts to minimize it's helpfulness to the blacks provided just enough money for them to sustain themselves. As FDR put it he was creating the New Plantation. This was when the black vote switched. LBJ actively supported the KKK he did not pass the civil rights act because of a change of concious. He signed it so that he could guarantee control of the black vote to the Democratic party. This racism still persists today in the form of identity politics used by Democrats. This sense of entitlement to the black vote can be seen to today. With Biden recently saying, "If you don't vote for me you're not black".
What do you mean? The Democratic Party has overwhelmingly more support than Republicans from minorities and nominated the first African American US President. Lyndon Johnson was a pretty radical civil rights reformer. He famously waged a war against racial discrimination, and was pretty passionate and aggressive in gaining support for his reforms to say the least, despite massive political opposition. Specifically in the case of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. He also worked pretty closely with Martin Luther King Jr.
You have it exactly right. I wish everyone was willing to listen to the truth and realize what a corrupt bunch of phony hypocrites the Dem Party is. And no i don't support Trump eitber
@@CulturalMarxist4985 Yeah you're obviously one of the ignorant ones that the OP was talking about. LBJ didn't pass those laws out of his love for blacks, he did it purposefully to keep them under Democrats thumb by making them dependent on government funds which the Democrat party would provide. In fact it was the Democrats that famously held the longest filibuster in history to keep the Civil Rights Act from passing, led by Senator Albert Gore Sr., the father of 2000 Democrat presidential nominee Al Gore. I am not telling you these things to be rude or insulting, but you must know your history before putting up people on a pedestal as some sort of "savoir".
@@Kaboomboo I guess there's discrimination within all of us, but Lyndon Johnson was certainly open-minded for his time. His reforms weren't just going with the flow. He obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his achievements as US President. His social welfare programmes also allowed millions of Americans to overcome poverty. If only he wasn't so committed to an unwinnable war, he could have achieved universal health care for the United States and been remembered even more fondly.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 And might had run for a second term.
The Public Broadcasting Act is my favorite of LBJ’s Great Society programs, I grew up with PBS when I was a kid.
“Jumbo” was what he called his “Johnson”
Yup
Am I right in saying that Lyndons Johnson fairly resembled what could only be called a babies forearm.
@@FozzQuaker Sounds about right. Also ewww Not the way I would’ve worded it
@@dafttool I have an interesting way with words and I don't have a filter
U should do some of the lesser known presidents like McKinley, Johnson and Van Buren
Also haven't seen u do Hermann Göring
Republicans at that time felt entitled to the black vote. Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater didn't support Civil rights but he still expected the support of black Americans. Can someone please make that make sense?
Tell the truth shame the devil all over the world turkeys vote for Christmas. And not a green veggie one either.
The problem is politicians feel entitled to votes from a certain group without actively doing anything for them. They think just spewing a few promises is enough. Does that not make sense?
Tell the truth shame the devil I don’t know where you get your information on Republicans feeling entitled to the black votes, they were just the ones pushing legislation that benefitted blacks the most. Unlike the Democrats that feel entitled to the black vote today, and do nothing to help the black community, but only keep them from being successful. Just ask Uncle Joe, he’ll tell you “you ain’t black if you don’t vote for me”.
And the reason why Goldwater didn’t support the 64 Civil Rights Act was due to 2 sections of the bill. Sections 2 and 7 that dealt with public accommodations and equal employment. He believed that those 2 sections were unconstitutional and should be left up to the states, he was very much in favor of the 10th Amendment. He also felt that it would be almost impossible to enforce and create ‘quotas” in hiring and housing, which it did. He felt that racism would buckle under the economical strain put on businesses that continued to oppress blacks.
All you have to do is look at his record to see that he opposed racism. He was instrumental in the integration of the the National Guard and schools in his home state of Arizona. Goldwater supported, and voted for, every other civil rights bill. He was also a member of both the NAACP and the Urban League, back when both organizations actually helped the black community and not just raise money for Democrats. People like you like to use his vote against the bill to support the myth of the parties “switching”, despite the fact there were far more Democrats who voted against the bill. Johnson did benefit from the black vote over Goldwater because of his vote against the bill and further pushed the false narrative that the Democrats were the ones who cared about the black community.
What the blacks gained with the 64 Civil Rights Act, they lost with Johnson’s “Great Society”. Those initiatives devastated the black family and took away the right for them to better themselves. Large government supported them, and in return, blacks voted for Democrats. This is how the ‘switch” happened, it wasn’t the parties switching, it was people moving from one area of the country to another. Northern states with large cities became Democratic strongholds due to the mostly black inner cities. The more dependent the black community became on the government, the more they voted for Democrats. And the Democrats never fix any problems because they need the votes. Fix the problems and allow people to succeed, they tend to vote for more freedoms and less taxes.
If facts don’t help this make sense to you, you must truly be a liberal. Facts have always challenged liberals, they tend to ignore them and go with feelings. And that isn’t really a bad thing, just misguided. Some liberals honestly believe they are doing what is good for people by supporting them through social programs, again avoiding facts. Unfortunately, most every single Democrat in office knows they aren’t helping anyone, they are in it for the money and power.
@@mopar_dude9227 Goldwater was in favour of 'states' rights' not to recognize the rights of African American people, similarly to the Confederacy and sort of like the current Republican Party which believes in the right not to recognize people's rights with social welfare and the liberty of folks to flaunt the flags of an army that fought to conserve slavery and white supremacy.
@@mopar_dude9227 Goldwater also abandoned civil rights just to gain support from white southerners by appealing to racial discrimination. Lyndon Johnson, on the other hand, was a hardcore civil rights reformer who famously waged a war against racial discrimination, despite massive political opposition ( including from Goldwater ).
I have newfound admiration for LBJ for pushing the Civil Rights Bill knowing it would cost him reelection!
I think you missed the point. It didn't cost him the 1964 election--he won in a landslide. The Vietnam War caused him to withdraw from the 1968 election.
@@jamesclendon4811 I think he's trying to say that by supporting and passing the civil rights act he lost the support of the southern democrats and caused a lot of them to become republicans.
@@blaketurpeau1730 Well, neither party was really a true Southern Democrat party in the '64 election. On one hand, you had Lyndon Johnson who signed the '64 civil rights act, losing support in the south. On the other, you had Barry Goldwater, who was Jewish and supported desegregation, so not a popular candidate in the south either. However, Goldwater gained a little traction in not supporting the civil rights act of '64, but he did it since he thought it violated the first ammendment. He did, however, support the previous two. It wouldn't really matter in '68 anyway, since that was when George Wallace, governor of Alabama, made a 3rd party run for president, winning most of the deep south.
"I'll have the n****era voting Democrat for the next 200 years"
LBJ
@The Life Analyst I guess it doesn't matter. Blacks are leaving the DNC plantation in droves. Within my lifetime I suspect we will see the Democrats lose the majority of black voters they have neglected and taken advantage of for so long. One simply has to look at the cities that have been under DNC control for decades and it is obvious that they help no one except themselves, and certainly not the black community. Trump has done more for blacks in 4 years than the DNC has in the last 4 decades, and that is why you all lie about him every second of every day. Joe Biden will lose to Trump far worse than Hillary did. Should I schedule you a welfare check for the day after the election? I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.
"I’ll have them n-words voting Democratic for two hundred years.”
~ L.B.J
“That was the reason he was pushing the bill,” said MacMillan, who was present during the conversation. “Not because he wanted equality for everyone. It was strictly a political ploy for the Democratic party. He was phony from the word go.”
I love this channel but I think the research regarding civil rights could have gone a little bit deeper.
The blind adherence to the idea that LBJ was some sort of civil rights saint, a misunderstood visionary and altruist is strong in modern Democrats.
There’s actually no proof he ever said that. It’s been a pretty persistent falsehood that has followed him around. Also if you read his journals and personal letters it’s pretty clear that he believes in what he’s doing, and thinks that equal rights for all is a very important task.
This video linked together so many patches of USA history for me. A really good video of an interesting man.
So far this is the best Biographics video from this channel.... I have no idea about the complexity of Lyndon Johnson legacy before... It is by far the most fascinating tale about President of United States. To use a TNG Trekkie analogy, this is 'The Inner Light' episode of this channel. :)
As someone who had play Johnson in his 2nd grade class and is a big TNG fan, I concur with your statement. LOL
@@bullmoosemedia At last somebody understand my TNG reference LOL
Thank you for a ‘Behind the Scenes’ bio; detailing a life greatly different from that in HS Government class textbooks. 😳 It’d be great to learn about Lady Bird & her legacy.
Do one on Erich Mielke head of the stasi in East germany.
My great grandfather drank with LBJ on a fairly regular basis in Austin. Since they were both rooted in education, they were fast friends. To hear him tell of it, LBJ was one of the most racist men behind the scenes that you could ever imagine.
Lyndon B. Johnson was a terrible person, but a great president.
@@WarCrimeGaming argueable..
Seems like that alleged racist did more for Civil rights in America than any president in history probably apart from Lincoln.
@@WarCrimeGaming lol he was both a terrible person and president.
He wasn't wrong when he said "I'm afraid I've handed the south to the Republicans. It's a shame that's how it worked out, but it pretty much did lol. Most of my state (Tennessee) still support trump. I'm just like, really?-lol-
I still don't understand how a bench of sons and daughters of the South ended up fervently supporting an out of touch, spoiled, billionaire, New York City, Yankee, who had completely different politics only 10 years ago.
Oh well.
@@2017NSDQ How would stuff like universal background checks and licenses for gun ownership be 'gun grabbing'? How are Democrats more 'rights infringing' than the folks who oppose the legalization of abortion and marijuana, support states' powers to execute people and deployed the military against overwhelmingly peaceful protests across the US?
@@bullmoosemedia Well, the thing is that Donald doesn't remind folks that they're poor by actually trying to help them.
@@CulturalMarxist4985 How does he help them, let alone anyone else?
@@bullmoosemedia He doesn't. But to some poor people, he's somehow just like them, 'cause he doesn't remind them that they're rich by trying to help them like Democrats do.
Thank you for this one! A lot of things people don't know about!!
Bio request: some Canadian history, please! A few suggestions off the top: John A. Macdonald (Canada's perpetually drunk founding prime minister), Louis Riel (the Métis leader who declared war on Canada), Adrien Arcand (Canada's wannabe Führer), and of course our most flamboyant leader ever, Pierre Trudeau. Any of these would be fantastic.
The comment section here is just awful. Let me clear some things up, as someone who actually does hold degrees in American history with expertise in civil rights history:
1. It is a misnomer that "Democrats are the party of slavery and the KKK." Similarly, it is also false that the parties switched following the civil rights act. If you actually look at the break down of the voting for the civil rights act, it becomes more clear what has happened in American political history. Northern democrats voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill and southern democrats voted overwhelmingly opposed; southern republicans (the few that there were) voted overwhelmingly opposed and northern republicans voted overwhelmingly in favor. But Democrats in the south had a clear hold over southern politics, where republicans could not gain any foothold. The difference is that today republicans have switched their base of operations from the north to the south and democrats have switched from the south to the north; the south has always been much more conservative on racial issues, and thus the voters in the republican block became much more conservative on racial issues after the geography of the parties swapped. It's really just a testament to the enduring legacy of the civil war and the failure of reconstruction to protect African-Americans in the south. It's the reason you get the contradiction as people in the south claim to be "of the party of Lincoln" but fly confederate flags--the flag of the rebels that literally succeeded because they thought Lincoln was a threat to their slave holdings, and of the southern states that refused to even put Lincoln on the ballot in his first election.
2. There is no evidence LBJ ever said "with this, I'll have those N----- voting democrat for the next 200 years." Similarly, there is no evidence he said "with this, we have lost the south for a generation." But it does seem strange that he would say the former, given African-Americans had already been a solid base of support for the democratic party since the new deal (should point out that the new deal very frequently shut African-Americans out because of, once again--to make my point about the south vs north in America--southern democrats lobbying and threatening to not support FDR if he did allow black folk to profit through the new deal, but African-American regardless still saw it as a net positive to their prosperity and hope in the future); By 1960, 2/3 black voters were already voting democratic because they were already a part of the so-called "New Deal Coalition"
Revisionist history. My ancestors didn't vote with the Dixiecrats. Stop it with the lying.
I have my ancestors voting records and your statement is not true. We didn't start voting with the Democrats until after the Civil Rights ACT of 1964. Maybe Thomas Sowell and his ilk voted with the klan but not normal black people.
@@truthseeker8970 And as for African American votes if that's what you're referring to, it once again doesn't matter how anyone's specific ancestor voted; the fact remains that African American's entered the new deal coalition and started largely voted democrat (in the north; in the south, they were still largely disenfranchised and found it difficult to cast their ballots and thus power remained in the hands of white political elites). In 1936, only about 26% of African Americans voted for Alf Landon (republican challenging FDR) on the national stage and since then, African American's in general really have never abandoned the new deal coalition
@@NeillGuitars the New Deal wasn't for AA, it was for poor whites not African Americans. You know all those European immigrants that were imported to make the US whyte to offset the large population of descendants of the enslaved.
@@truthseeker8970 But if you disagree with that you are more than willing to link me your source that African American's continued to largely vote republican until LBJ.
Time to trim that beard simon, Starting to look like a Red Dead Redemption character
Nah it’s coming out nicely
No thats the source of his power and this isn't even his final form.
It grows his charisma and power stats
12:53 hit me out of nowhere. It's so, so easy to just get caught up in this moment, but one second can leave you thinking about the eternity that comes after.
Love the LBJ content! Stay tuned for the Ken Burns doc "LBJ & the Great Society"
the blood of 58000 is on his hands
LBJ was a cynical politician, but he got things done. He and fellow Democrats opposed civil rights legislation until African-American voting rights were restored. They abandoned the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, founded by abolitionists, for the party of FDR and LBJ.
Yeah, it was Johnson's meanness that allowed him to do so much good.
Excellent review of the man and his legacy.
It’s amazing how most of the best documentaries about US Presidents are either made or narrated by non-Americans. I learned about Woodrow Wilson’s racist mentality through you. Love these entries man. Thank you.
I like how well this Biographics episode information collaborates how Lyndon B. Johnson is depicted in the Netflix series, "The Crown." Excellent episodes, both series.
During the motorcade, Lyndon B. Johnson spotted some ugly racial epithets scrawled on signs. Late that night in the hotel, when the local dignitaries had finished the last bottles of bourbon and branch water and departed, Johnson started talking about those signs. “I’ll tell you what’s at the bottom of it,” he said. “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
-Bill Moyers
I always wonder if he really believed in the civil rights or was it a political move
it was all politics. nam was to make his pals rich. sad
My granny was convinced he had JFK assassinated.
Like she had a full on conspiracy about it...some of it made an odd amount of sense to boot.
Kerorofan Have you ever been to the Texas book depository museum in Dallas?
There's really no doubt that your granny was right, but it will never make it to the history books.
At this point, it's easier to just make a list of people who WEREN'T involved in the assassination of JFK.
Watch the movie "LBJ". His selection as VP was not "an afterthought". RFK bitterly opposed the choice of Johnson but Kennedy knew if he wanted to win the South (as a Yankee) he needed Johnson. As for the election of 1964, there was a comment by a voter who said, "I was told if I voted for Goldwater we'd end up in a war in Vietnam. Well, I voted for Goldwater and, sure enough, we ended up in a war in Vietnam."
That was an epic freaking video dude
Bruh “dude”
Simon's head-to-beard ratio is nearing 1:1. I dig it.
That was really interesting! Quite a sad story too. Thank you
If you want to know more about LBJ, then the biographical series /The Years Of Lyndon Johnson/, by Robert Caro, is a good resource.
The best!!!
He could slap his adversaries around with old “Jumbo”😅😅😅
Ah yes, Lyndon B Johnson. The Most Imperfectly Perfect Politician. I adored every part of his presidency - The Good and Bad. Rest in Peace LBJ🇺🇸 (1908-1973)
(5.11.21 23:58)
SO YOU ADORED 58000 DEAD AMERICANS ? JUST TO MAKE HIS PALS RICH...
As a native Floridian, I feel it incumbent upon myself to inform you that California is not "The Sunshine State," and I'll thank you not to usurp any of my home state's monikers. Love the show, btw
Bio request : Thomas Alexandre Dumas, the black Count
That indoor plumbing line was hilarious
Simon you should do a biographics on Vince McMahon owner of the WWE
And btw California is the Golden state Florida is the sunshine state
Johnson had bi-polar disorder, which accounted for his Jekyll and Hyde behavior. Associates said he could be the sweetest man imaginable and also the biggest SOB imaginable.
Can we get some appreciation for Simon's beard. That thing is putting 19th century monarchs to shame.
Braxton, I was thinking the same thing. Boy, does it look incredibly lush. Be safe and well ✌💗🤗🙏I
Wow! Great video!!
Could you please do one about Blas de Lezo the spanish admiral feared by the British navy
His life may be that perfect example of how We are just mere PAWNS in this game of LIFE...Not controlling ANYTHING really as our destiny has already been laid out..... a complex man in appearance but a man put on this earth to carry out a mission beyond his own control
👀
“A stunning weasel” I’ll be adding that to my daily vocabulary, thank you
The movie All the Way is a fantastic depiction of Johnson's first year in office
HE WAS EVIL PERIOD.
What a treat! First Ronie Reagan and now Lyndon "i love blacks......honest" Johnson! Simon you always cover all the bases!
The late Congressman John Lewis said of Lyndon Johnson:
"I think Lyndon Johnson did more to free, to liberate Black Americans than any President, since Abraham Lincoln.
"I think that if it hadn't been for Vietnam, he would be considered as one of the greatest Presidents of all time,"
Thank you, helped so much with a school project I'm doing!
People you should do videos on next:
Dalton Trumbo
Orson Welles
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Warren G Harding
really great selection of people!
@@bogey thanks
Professor dictator Antonio Salazar
LBJ didn’t give a damn about civil rights, or Black people for that matter. The *only* reason why he signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act was because he realized that if he was going to be Re-elected President later that year, he was (for the first time in America’s history), going to need the boost from African Americans. This was because African Americans in the mid 1960s were finally at the point where they were considered a pretty solidified voting bloc in America and most major Political campaigns throughout the country, weather for something as low as a City Council race all the way up to the Presidency, would now need to appeal to Black voters to really give themselves much of a chance. Lyndon B. Johnson knew this better and more crystal clear than most within his own Party and his inner circle. There was just one ‘small’ problem within this predicament. He absolutely detested Black folk and our culture, history, beliefs, values, etc. He, like many Democrats at the time, wanted absolutely nothing to do with us and would have made certain that we continued to struggle whilst having little to no freedoms if it weren’t for the fact that were now a powerful bloc of the country. So, when it became quite obvious that we were needed to keep him and his Democrat pals in office, he decided the best way to ensure we turned out for him in droves was to sign the Civil Rights Act that Republicans had floating around in Congress for months and then take credit for it as if it were his doing and his idea in the first place.
Decades on from that, we still back the Democratic Party in an unhealthy manner. And for what? More Social programs? Shitty schools? Welfare? It’s time to start turning out for the Party that, while not inherently better than the Democrats, has Policies and ideas that a *majority* of Black Americans appeal to that will lift us up and are designed to help revitalize our community, as oppose to the same decades old policies that have stifled our communities.
Vote Conservative this Tuesday, November 3rd, and In the next elections to come!
@The Life Analyst No, that did not happen.
@The Life Analyst Goldwater. Not Republicans. Be more specific. Also, Goldwater supported the 1957 Civil Rights act. He didn't support the 64 act because in his words, he saw it as "overeach of the federal government". Genuine concern, though I disagree with his take. Stop spreading falsehoods
@The Life Analyst And anyway you slice it, my points about LBJ are valid. He didn't actually want Blacks and other minorities to have Civil rights. He only gave them such rights to ensure his Political survival.
@@JdDiehl Johnson obviously wasn't perfect, but you gotta respect his accomplishments as US President, right?
@@JdDiehl Goldwater abandoned civil rights just to gain more support from white southern voters by appealing to racism and support for segregation. He was for states' rights not to recognise the rights of African Americans, just like the Confederacy. He clearly wasn't a hardcore civil rights reformer like Lyndon Johnson.
Well done Simon! This is truly one of the most intriguing characters in American politics and definitely deserving of a thorough examination, warts and all.
One of the most rotten and corrupt you mean. What he did with Vietnam and his appointing The Warren Commission ,and all the endless lies of both, causing irreparable damage to this country, should have sent him to prison.
I am the Emancipating President.
the model cities program destroyed so much in America that they dont even teach us about it in school...
Quite Informative
Your beard is scaring me
XD
Phytoestrogen has that effect.
Pogonophobia. I have it.