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{{cquote|'''I have voted AGAINST the so-called poll tax repeal bill'''; the poll tax should be repealed by those states which enacted them. '''I have voted against the so-called anti-lynching bill'''; the state can, and DOES, enforce the law against murder.|||Johnson, mid-1948}}

{{cquote|'''I have voted AGAINST the so-called poll tax repeal bill'''; the poll tax should be repealed by those states which enacted them. '''I have voted against the so-called anti-lynching bill'''; the state can, and DOES, enforce the law against murder.|||Johnson, mid-1948}}

In [[Texas]], Johnson stole his first election to the [[U.S. Senate]], as recounted by historians.<ref>Federer, Bill (November 14, 2018) [https://www.worldtribune.com/how-landslide-lyndon-stole-the-senate-race-in-1948/ How ‘Landslide Lyndon’ stole the Senate race in 1948] ''World Tribune.'' Retrieved June 25, 2021.</ref><ref>Tolchin, Martin (February 11, 1990) [https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/11/us/how-johnson-won-election-he-d-lost.html How Johnson Won Election He'd Lost] ''New York Times''. Retrieved June 25, 2021.</ref>  As president in 1964, Johnson ordered the [[CIA]] to infiltrate and spy on his [[conservative]] opponent, [[Barry Goldwater]], which enabled Johnson to preempt Goldwater's initiatives with Johnson's own.  Johnson also lied about the [[Gulf of Tonkin]] attack in order to boost his re-election efforts in 1964.

In [[Texas]], Johnson stole his first election to the [[U.S. Senate]], as recounted by historians.<ref>Federer, Bill (November 14, 2018) [https://www.worldtribune.com/how-landslide-lyndon-stole-the-senate-race-in-1948/ How ‘Landslide Lyndon’ stole the Senate race in 1948] ''World Tribune.'' Retrieved June 25, 2021.</ref><ref>Tolchin, Martin (February 11, 1990) [https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/11/us/how-johnson-won-election-he-d-lost.html How Johnson Won Election He'd Lost] ''New York Times''. Retrieved June 25, 2021.</ref>  As president in 1964, Johnson ordered the [[CIA]] to infiltrate and spy on his [[conservative]] opponent, [[Barry Goldwater]], which enabled Johnson to preempt Goldwater's initiatives with Johnson's own.  Johnson also lied about the [[Gulf of Tonkin]] attack in order to boost his reelection efforts in 1964.

Johnson began his career as a liberal [[New Deal]]er, later when he became a senator he initially aligned himself with the Southern Democrats, although by the time he ascended to Senate Leadership he espoused moderate politics in an attempt to bridge both wings of the fractious [[Democratic Party]]. However, as president, he seized the leadership of liberalism citing [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] as his role model. Johnson moved the [[Democratic Party]] to the left, and pushed through Congress the [[Great Society]], comprising liberal economic policy including Medicare (free health care for the elderly), Medicaid (free health care for the poor), aid to education, and a major "War on Poverty". As part of his jobs program, he greatly escalated the American troop strength in [[Vietnam]] through [[conscription]], from 16,000 in 1963 to 23,000 by the end of 1964 and finally to 550,000 by early 1968. [[Unemployment]] consequently remained in check.

Johnson began his career as a liberal [[New Deal]]er, later when he became a senator he initially aligned himself with the Southern Democrats, although by the time he ascended to Senate Leadership he espoused moderate politics in an attempt to bridge both wings of the fractious [[Democratic Party]]. However, as president, he seized the leadership of liberalism citing [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] as his role model. Johnson moved the [[Democratic Party]] to the left, and pushed through Congress the [[Great Society]], comprising liberal economic policy including Medicare (free health care for the elderly), Medicaid (free health care for the poor), aid to education, and a major "War on Poverty". As part of his jobs program, he greatly escalated the American troop strength in [[Vietnam]] through [[conscription]], from 16,000 in 1963 to 23,000 by the end of 1964 and finally to 550,000 by early 1968. [[Unemployment]] consequently remained in check.

Johnson won re-election in a landslide in 1964 over [[conservative]] leader [[Barry Goldwater]], and proceeded to push through a massive expansion of federal programs known as the "Welfare State."  This included [[Medicare]], food stamps, and federal spending on education.  Johnson also supported the [[Voting Rights Act]] of 1965, which passed over a Democratic filibuster.   

Johnson won reelection in a landslide in 1964 over [[conservative]] leader [[Barry Goldwater]], and proceeded to push through a massive expansion of federal programs known as the "Welfare State."  This included [[Medicare]], food stamps, and federal spending on education.  Johnson also supported the [[Voting Rights Act]] of 1965, which passed over a Democratic filibuster.   

Johnson's popularity steadily declined after 1966 and his reelection bid in 1968 collapsed as a result of turmoil in his Democratic party primarily due to Johnson's mishandling (and micromanagement) of the [[Vietnam War]] (which also ironically involved the [[Liberal bias#Vietnam War|intentionally false reporting]] by [[Walter Cronkite]] on the [[Tet Offensive]]).  Johnson was humiliated by a primary challenge to his reelection from fellow [[Democrat]] [[Eugene McCarthy]] in early 1968 in [[New Hampshire]], and then LBJ withdrew as a candidate for reelection.  His Vice President [[Hubert Humphrey]] lost in the general election due in part to Johnson's unpopularity.

Johnson's popularity steadily declined after 1966 and his reelection bid in 1968 collapsed as a result of turmoil in his Democratic party primarily due to Johnson's mishandling (and micromanagement) of the [[Vietnam War]] (which also ironically involved the [[Liberal bias#Vietnam War|intentionally false reporting]] by [[Walter Cronkite]] on the [[Tet Offensive]]).  Johnson was humiliated by a primary challenge to his reelection from fellow [[Democrat]] [[Eugene McCarthy]] in early 1968 in [[New Hampshire]], and then LBJ withdrew as a candidate for reelection.  His Vice President [[Hubert Humphrey]] lost in the general election due in part to Johnson's unpopularity.

Although publicly posing as a Civil Rights hero, in private Johnson was—like most southern Democrats of the 1960s—a racist: When his sometime chauffeur, Robert Parker, told LBJ he'd prefer to be called by his name rather than "boy," "n***er" or "chief," Johnson replied, "As long as you are black, and you're gonna be black till the day you die, no one's gonna call you by your goddamn name. So no matter what you are called, n***er, you just let it roll off your back like water, and you’ll make it. Just pretend you’re a goddamn piece of furniture."<ref>Robert Parker and Richard L. Rashke, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JKhpZMj8Z6wC Capitol Hill in Black and White]'' (Penguin Group, 1989), ISBN 0515101893, p. v.</ref>

Although publicly posing as a Civil Rights hero, in private Johnson was—like most southern Democrats of the 1960s—a racist: When his sometime chauffeur, Robert Parker, told LBJ he'd prefer to be called by his name rather than "boy," "n***er" or "chief," Johnson replied, "As long as you are black, and you're gonna be black till the day you die, no one's gonna call you by your goddamn name. So no matter what you are called, n***er, you just let it roll off your back like water, and you’ll make it. Just pretend you’re a goddamn piece of furniture."<ref>Robert Parker and Richard L. Rashke, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JKhpZMj8Z6wC Capitol Hill in Black and White]'' (Penguin Group, 1989), ISBN 0515101893, p. v.</ref>

In his capacity as Majority Leader of the Senate, Johnson joined with [[Strom Thurmond]] to kill the Civil Rights Act of 1957. But when Senate Republicans re-introduced the bill, LBJ said, "I'm going to have to bring up the n***er bill again," according to LBJ's White House Special Counsel Harry McPherson.<ref>Michael L. Gillette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20050304042315/http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/mcpherson/mcpher06.pdf Transcript, Harry McPherson Oral History Interview VI], 5/16/85, LBJ Library, 16 May 1985.</ref> "Let's face it. Our ass is in a crack. We're gonna have to let this n***er bill pass," he told Senator [[John Stennis]] (D-MS), according to a Pulitzer Prize winning<ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Biography-or-Autobiography Biography or Autobiography]. Past winners & finalists by category. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 2012-03-24.</ref> biography.<ref>Caro, Robert A. (2002). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=U87rzAqVhbwC The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, Volume 3]''. New York: Knopf. p. 954. ISBN 0394528360.</ref> According to Bancroft Prize winning<ref>[http://library.columbia.edu/about/awards/bancroft/previous_awards.html The Bancroft Prizes: Previous Awards]. The Columbia University Libraries/Information Services</ref> biographer Robert Dallek, he asked Senator Sam Rayburn (D-TX), "Sam, why don't you all let this n***er bill pass?"<ref>Dallek, Robert (1991). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=t_LjEJdaAiYC Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1908-1960]''. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 519. ISBN 0195054350.</ref> According to former Harvard historian and Johnson staffer Doris Kearns Goodwin, LBJ explained his position to Senator Richard Russell, Jr. (D-GA) thus:

In his capacity as Majority Leader of the Senate, Johnson joined with [[Strom Thurmond]] to kill the Civil Rights Act of 1957. But when Senate Republicans reintroduced the bill, LBJ said, "I'm going to have to bring up the n***er bill again," according to LBJ's White House Special Counsel Harry McPherson.<ref>Michael L. Gillette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20050304042315/http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/mcpherson/mcpher06.pdf Transcript, Harry McPherson Oral History Interview VI], 5/16/85, LBJ Library, 16 May 1985.</ref> "Let's face it. Our ass is in a crack. We're gonna have to let this n***er bill pass," he told Senator [[John Stennis]] (D-MS), according to a Pulitzer Prize winning<ref>[http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Biography-or-Autobiography Biography or Autobiography]. Past winners & finalists by category. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 2012-03-24.</ref> biography.<ref>Caro, Robert A. (2002). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=U87rzAqVhbwC The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, Volume 3]''. New York: Knopf. p. 954. ISBN 0394528360.</ref> According to Bancroft Prize winning<ref>[http://library.columbia.edu/about/awards/bancroft/previous_awards.html The Bancroft Prizes: Previous Awards]. The Columbia University Libraries/Information Services</ref> biographer Robert Dallek, he asked Senator Sam Rayburn (D-TX), "Sam, why don't you all let this n***er bill pass?"<ref>Dallek, Robert (1991). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=t_LjEJdaAiYC Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1908-1960]''. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. p. 519. ISBN 0195054350.</ref> According to former Harvard historian and Johnson staffer Doris Kearns Goodwin, LBJ explained his position to Senator Richard Russell, Jr. (D-GA) thus:

{{cquote|These Negroes, they’re getting pretty [[uppity]] these days and that’s a problem for us since they’ve got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we’ve got to do something about this, we’ve got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference.<ref>Goodwin, Doris Kearns (1977). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HS9aAAAAYAAJ Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream]. New York: New American Library. p. 155. ISBN 0451140826</ref>}}

{{cquote|These Negroes, they’re getting pretty [[uppity]] these days and that’s a problem for us since they’ve got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we’ve got to do something about this, we’ve got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference.<ref>Goodwin, Doris Kearns (1977). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HS9aAAAAYAAJ Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream]. New York: New American Library. p. 155. ISBN 0451140826</ref>}}