To what extent was Lyndon B. Johnson a good or bad person?

He represents the foolishness of trying to separate leaders into 'good' and 'bad' – and that is a vital lesson. Having said all that, it's impossible to get away from the fact that Lyndon B Johnson was also a truly awful man. read more

Lyndon Johnson was outsize. He was very good and very bad, often on the same day. He contained multitudes. Robert Caro set out to write a trilogy The Years of Lyndon Johnson in 1982. Caro is eighty two and is working on the fifth volume. Quick Aside Caro’s epic work is informative entertaining, perhaps the finest biography I have ever read. read more

Johnson seemed to assume that all we needed was the will to make it happen. When it comes to the social welfare programs that Johnson signed into law in order to prosecute the war on poverty and realize the Great Society, they were a decidedly mixed bag. Some, like Medicare, have proven popular and enduring. read more

Johnson was much loved and greatly hated -- not just liked and disliked but adored by some and despised by others. Some people remember him as kind, generous, compassionate, considerate, decent, and devoted to advancing the well-being of the least advantaged among us. read more

Lyndon Johnson was an anomaly in the presidency that we haven't seen since. He came from the ground up, not out of some stinking ivy league elitist university. Plus he had a personality and demeanor that was perfect for getting things done politically. read more