LBJ tonight 1968: "shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term"

[mahatmakanejeeves]

In Oval Office and presence of Lady Bird and friends Arthur and Mathilde Krim, LBJ tonight 1968 says he “shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your President.” Note the “CBS Color” TV camera: #LBJL

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[treestar]

1. He had not served enough of JFK's term

to be disqualified, so I suppose he could have. But was he really unpopular then? His VP was the candidate though. And we got Nixon instead, which turned out to be worse.

Could LBJ have won if he had run?

[themaguffin]

8. Vietnam and Chicago loomed large. Nixon via Ailes started the Southern Strategy.

[walkingman]

2. As a 18yo at the time I was totally against LBJ because of the Vietnam

War but years later my opinion has changed. Like so many of our "conflicts" Vietnam was based on lies and political narratives - shouldn't have happened - but LBJ in my opinion was an honorable man and I think were it not for Vietnam he would rank right up there with FDR as one of America's greatest Presidents.

The Vietnam War tore this nation apart and we still haven't learn the lessons of the past.

[Backseat Driver]

3. I wasn't old enough to vote yet but JFK's death tore a hole through my young heart.

LBJ, though troubled by the continuing conflict, escalated Viet Nam under warmongering advisement. I naively first voted for Nixon's 2nd term and suffered as well under my state's pain regarding Kent State, but no one voted for Gerald Ford, upon Nixon's resignation following Watergate, for anything save those in his state - Perhaps with the exception of Roslyn Carter, over time, don't even mention those republican First Ladies, either. I did not feel as though the nation had any healing to do that an election would not cure, yet the nation's choice was summarily dismissed by that same pathetic excuse. Never voted for another Republican and likely never, ever will. Even Carter and Clinton's terms could not stop the scheming Pukes refusals to improve conditions in this country by stacking courts, agencies, and the Senate. I blame the lot of them for most all the problems of my adult life, especially stagnant wages, escalating taxes and healthcare costs, voter suppression, and the relentless rise of fascist corporate power and wealth lobbying publically and covertly for even more. Let's not even begin to speak of TFG's murderous grift and failure of oath.

[walkingman]

4. Well said - like you I cannot see me voting ever for a GOP candidate. IMO, it has

been a downhill slide since 1980 and has reached a point now where I honestly do not consider the Republican Party a legitimate political party. More of a gathering of jackals.

[Greybnk48]

5. I remember my dad was really upset by this.

He thought the war in Viet Nam was killing LBJ because he was a good man (and knew it was a bad war).

I was just shocked ( a 19 year old military wife at the time).

[Paladin]

6. I remember that evening like it was yesterday. (nt)

[Boomerproud]

7. 5 days later MLK was murdered. What a historic week.