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In 1948, Johnson ran in another controversial Senate race, this time against former governor Coke Stevenson.  After no candidate won a majority of the votes in the election, Johnson defeated Stevenson in a run-off election.  After joining the Senate, Johnson established relationships with several senior senators, including [[Richard Russell]].  Johnson was appointed to the powerful [[Armed Services Committee]] in 1950, which brought him into the public spotlight.  He became the leader of the [[Democratic Party]] in the Senate in 1953.  Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president prior to the [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960 election]], but accepted the nomination for vice-president following Kennedy's nomination.

In 1948, Johnson ran in another controversial Senate race, this time against former governor Coke Stevenson.  After no candidate won a majority of the votes in the election, Johnson defeated Stevenson in a run-off election.  After joining the Senate, Johnson established relationships with several senior senators, including [[Richard Russell]].  Johnson was appointed to the powerful [[Armed Services Committee]] in 1950, which brought him into the public spotlight.  He became the leader of the [[Democratic Party]] in the Senate in 1953.  Johnson sought the Democratic nomination for president prior to the [[United States presidential election, 1960|1960 election]], but accepted the nomination for vice-president following Kennedy's nomination.

As President, Johnson greatly expanded the federal government with his [[Great Society]] programs.  He also helped the [[civil rights movement]] win legislative victories and greatly expanded the American role in [[Vietnam]] (see [[Vietnam War]]).

As President, Johnson greatly expanded the federal government with his [[Great Society]] programs.  He also helped the [[civil rights movement]] win legislative victories and greatly expanded the American role in [[Vietnam]] (see [[Vietnam War]]).  Although Johnson won the 1964 presidential election in a landslide over Republican [[Barry Goldwater]], his popularity plunged as the death toll from the conflict in Vietnam steadily increased.  In early 1968, faced with plummeting poll numbers and mounting public opposition to his foreign policy, Johnson announced that he would not seek, nor would be accept, his party's nomination for the presidency in 1968.  It is widely thought that had he run he would have been trounced in the primaries and the general election, which was eventually won by Republican [[Richard M. Nixon]].

 

Johnson was frequently known to bark orders to subordinates from the toilet, leading to the received wisdom that in order to be a member of Johnson's inner circle one had to be willing to stand outside a restroom stall in which the president was seated.

{{USPresidents}}

{{USPresidents}}