Sharing My Story

Perhaps the most annoying thing about
Lyndon B. Johnson’s first several years in
office was his presence on the airwaves
seemingly every night telling “My Fellow
Americans” what his Great Society was
going to do for us. His brand of paternalistic
government earned him the handle of
“Big Daddy LBJ.” President Johnson
interpreted (rightly or wrongly) his
triumph in the 1964 election as a clear
mandate for his style of government.
Read BIG government. As a young person
with very conservative ideas about the
role of government the Johnson years
were very difficult. You felt that Johnson
was trying to outdo his hero Franklin D.
Roosevelt in establishing government
programs.

He also promised during the campaign
that hewouldn’t be sending more American
troops to fight in Vietnam. A promise he
promptly broke.