ABSTRACT
On March 31, 1968, Lyndon Johnson (served 1963-1969) stunned a nation weary of the Vietnam War and urban unrest with this nationally televised announcement: “I shall not seek-nor will I accept-the nomination of my party for another term in this great office of all the people.”1 He only went public with his decision after Senator Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) made a surprisingly strong showing in the March 1968 New Hampshire primary. Just four years earlier Johnson had been widely praised as a masterful legislative leader and one of the truly great presidents of the twentieth century. In fact, 1964-1965 had produced by far the biggest outpouring of new legislation since FDR’s first term. Then things fell apart. Johnson went from high-opportunity/ high-achievement president to political villain in a few short years. Lady Bird Johnson pronounced her husband’s White House years as “the best of times,
the worst of times.” Johnson’s leadership skills-and his limitations-were an essential part of the story of this eventful period.
