AMH 2020 0001 page 1 April 16 2015 American Experience Lyndon B Johnson Documentary Johnson looked on helplessly as 150 cities went up in flames Detroit was the worst Army paratrooper and his own task force sent in Johnson neglected needs of white Caught between Civil Rights and growing fear and backlash Lost control of economy and congress Losing war in Vietnam End of 1967 Americans struck important Vietnamese cities People thought Johnson was holding back Johnson was afraid of triggering WW3 Personally selected where the bombs would fall Lying and persuasion was all Johnson did to get a good outcome This led to Credibility gap as people held him to his words Jan 5 1967 Lady bird Johnson said a miasma of trouble hangs over everything Didn t understand why the American youth outside of the white house gates were protesting him Frustrated because he couldn t end it or win the war in Vietnam o Not winning war and losing battle at home o No good choices that anyone could devise for how to get out of Vietnam Telling American people that they can have Guns and Buttery War on Poverty killed by War in Vietnam Shooting war and killing field in Vietnam captured attention more that good AMH 2020 0001 page 2 More money spent in Vietnam More bombs drop on Vietnam than in all of WW2 Ho Chi Minh Vietnamese people will not yield destroyed End of 1997 grim sent of siege laid over white house Whole political career hung on Vietnam o Knew that eventually US would go home and they could rebuild what the US Wise men about 10 about 250 hours of political experience advised Johnson o Advice was contain communism don t let it spread o Voted Unanimously for Johnson to go on with his war in Vietnam o Gave him silly advice You out to improve your public relation Johnson expanded war in secret and set out to prove progress to the US people Called home the US Commander in Vietnam for press conference Glowing reports always came from pentagon Middle of December President flew across the Pacific o Inspired by photo opportunity ut moved by Americas fighting man o We re not going to yield and we re not going to shimmy o The enemy is not beaten but knows that he has met his master in the field o After a few hours in Vietnam he moved on to Pakistan and then Rome like a campaign tour of old Gift Exchange with Pope Paul the 6 AMH 2020 0001 page 3 His holiness gave 14th century painting President gave ft high plastic bust of himself Wanted desperately to believe that America had turned the corner in Vietnam Tet Offensive Was the roof falling in South Vietnam exploded Vietnamese holiday Tet Vietnamese caught American by surprise o Illusion of progress was shattered Went on for 3 weeks and failed to provoke popular uprising Tet changed trusted media figure s mind Johnson felt more and more alone Many of those close to him had resigned Robert Mackemera Johnson s secretary of defense and original architect resigned his o Pressure got so great the Rob couldn t sleep at night and thought he was a position murderer Clark M Clifford replaced Robert No plan for victory in Vietnam Johnson hated Robert Kennedy Clark Clifford couldn t change Johnson s mind so he told him to meet with the wise men again Tet had changed the minds of the wise men o They all turned around o Johnson said that someone had poisoned the well because the wise men changed AMH 2020 0001 page 4 their mind March 31 1968 speech After meeting with wise men Johnson seemed unusually calm A week before he delivered his speech he wanted Clifford to sit in on his rehearsal of the o At first the speech seemed like another pause or break for peace treaty o At end of speech he said that he will not seek or accept the nomination of his party for another term of presidency 3 days later Ho Chi Minh responded that Vietnam was ready to talk but war continued for 7 more years Everything was a disaster in 1968 Riots Dr King Killed in April o More riots Eugene McCarthy Senator from Minnesota who got in early was considered as a joke but in new Hampshire vote he got 42 of the vote Bobby Kennedy gets in the race after it becomes clear that the president is vulnerable Hubert Humphrey Johnson s VP get in after Johnson withdraws o Can t campaign because of the administration o People booed him Showdown in California between Kennedy and McCarthy o Whoever wins challenges Humphrey AMH 2020 0001 page 5 Sir Han Sir Han kills Kennedy o Most people think it was a crime of opportunity o Opportunity to be famous McCarthy lost big Primary so he was out Humphrey gets nomination by default There was going to be a protest at Democratic convention Fall of 1967 everyone was being driven to get to Chicago o When Johnson pulls out in March most people decide to not go anymore o 1 000s of people descend on Chicago in no order o Students beaten silly by police o Instead of watching party select nominees watching police beat kids Humphrey wins vote but is 30 points down o Party has no money and is trailing in polls Republicans turn to Richard Nixon 1962 lost governor position for California Mends his bridges and helps other republican candidates 1968 wins republican nomination for president o Claims that there is a new Nixon o Same sneaky mentally imbalanced Nixon Claims he has a secret plan for ending war in Vietnam Nixon wins election by narrowest margin 43 George Wallace gets 13 of vote for presidency nationwide Nixon becomes President AMH 2020 0001 page 6 His secret plan for ending war in Vietnam is to turn the war over to the local army o Vietnamization letting the South Vietnamese people fight their war in Vietnam o Swaps wars South Vietnamese didn t want to fight in the first place o Pulls American troops out but increases air war bombing expands into Cambodia and Laos o Doesn t do any Vietnamization Popularity is declining o War is dragging and economy is doing poorly Tries to fight the war without paying for it o Don t want to increase taxes to pay for war o Inflation goes up o Economy tanks Begins looking for enemies to blame for his misfortunes Nixon is concerned about leaks and is determined to put an end to them o Forms special unit The plumbers designed to stop leaks in the white house o White House consumed with political stuff unbelievable things that are going on o At one point set up a dirty tricks unit Committee to re elect President is involved in money laundering in Mexico 20 million dollars or more in cash Safe couldn t close all the time o Take out a couple million dollars