I thought the most honourable thing about LBJ is that he personally admitted defeat in excercising the war effort in Vietnam and essentially resigned the presidency by refusing the nomination for re-election.
Well, that and I think he knew he’d never win the election. (Same as Truman. After he fired MacArthur, his ass was toast-despite the fact that he was absolutely correct to do so)
Unfortunately, that only meant we got Nixon. shudder Probably the worst president we’ve ever had-certainly the worst president of the 20th century.
Let’s not nominate him for civil rights sainthood just yet, please.
We ought to recall that he led opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (proposed by that underappreciated giant of civil rights presidents, Dwight Eisenhower) and deliberately sent it to committee to be butchered into a far less effective bill. Likewise as majority leader he led a filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1960 that addressed some of the voter obstruction measures stripped out in 1957. When the filibuster ended and the act passed, Eisenhower signed it as well.
I will give a lot of credit to Johnson for coming around, but this past history should be acknowledged as well. And there might well be numerous unsung heroes of 1/20/09 as regards our sad racial history.
I nominate Eisenhower.
Very true-Eisenhower was the one who started it all. He’s the one who nationalized the National Guard and sent them down South after the locals REFUSED to allow the schools to be integrated. He’s the one who set it in motion.
Now now, Guin. Since you are obviously speaking of my home town, check out school integration in Arkansas Senator Dale Bumper’s home town in 1954. 
It’s nice to see LBJ getting credit in some of the coverage. I didn’t see any on the TV news locally.
Mr. Moto, thanks for reminding us that LBJ’s personal history regarding integration is - um - complex. We all need reminders that “good” presidents are not always good, and “bad” presidents are not always bad.
And thanks for mentioning Ike as well. I’ll throw in Truman. What a long, strange trip it’s been - and it’s not done yet.
EVERY time I HAVE to buy a piece of CRAP at walmart from china because there is no other choice. I REMEMBER.
Hell, now when I buy car parts, I sometimes get to say “oh thank gawd!, at least it was made in mexico!”
The OP is right though, LBJ doesnt get near the credit he deserves.
Note I didn’t say all of them. That is freaking awesome.
(Oh, and once again, I hate Nixon. Bastard)
“Killed” the Great Society? Richard Nixon EXPANDED domestic spending vastly, almost without exception.
Nixon cared little about domestic policy, and was happy to bribe the Democrats with domestic spending, hoping they’d leave him alone to run foreign policy as he pleased.
I take it you don’t subscribe to the “Hope Somebody Remembered a Stake” theory. 
Not so; there was even a line in Star Trek that “Only Nixon could do to China”. Most presidents (and others) are a mixed bag (although dubya came out less mixed than most). Nixon was still on the side of the slime molds, but certainly LBJ had his moments of greatness and should be celebrated for that. If only he had not gotten bogged in 'Nam. But didn’t Hillary get roasted during the primary campaign for having said that Obama wouldn’t even be in contention without LBJ?
Also Detente with the Soviet Union AND he handled his own personal Cuban missile crisis.
On the report that once again the Russians were testing out American resolve by sending in B.Ms to Cuba he sent a message over the hotline “Take them out or we’ll take you out”
The Soviets backloaded them the following day .
Cite, The real Spy World by Miles Copeland (Ex C.I.A.)