why was lyndon b johnson elected president?

Answer 1

LBJ was a popular politician in the South who was also a brilliant politician long before JFK was elected to the presidency. Kennedy recognized the appeal of having a popular politician from the South on his ticket. LBJ would have had a good chance to be elected president on his own.

With the assassination of Kennedy he was president and subsequently ran a campaign and was elected. He had a very good chance of being re-elected if he had chosen to run again (it would have probably been a very close election).

People rememeber LBJ for the Vietnam War but he, not JFK, enacted the Civil Rights Act (Kennedy did not have the political strength that LBJ had amassed) and he created a welfare system that decreased poverty in the nation by almost 60%... no politician in the history of this country has even come close to this. The Civil Rights legislation was extremely unpopular in the South and killed the domination of the "Dixiecrats" in that part of the nation by causing Southern Democrats to defect to the Republican party... this, more than the war, would have hurt his chances to be re-elected.

Answer 2

When Lyndon Johnson became President, he did so not by being elected, but because he was the Vice-President when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

He was re-elected to the Presidency in 1964, mostly on the coattails of the Kennedy legacy, and the promise to continue the Kennedy dream. Most observers believe that if it had been a more neutral election season - Johnson vs. Goldwater, without the impact of the Kennedy assassination - Goldwater would have been the favorite to win.

Answer 3

Check the dates.

NOV 63 Kennedy was killed and Johnson became president.

AUG 64. Gulf of Tonkin incident supposedly happened and Johnson used that to get Congress to authorize US combat involvement in Vietnam.

NOV 64 Johnson ran for election. Since Americans historically do not change presidents in the middle of a war, Johnson was a shoe in. He won about 42 of the states in a very one sided election.

NOV 68. John did the ultimate cut and run. After getting the USA heavily involved in Vietnam, with hundreds of thousands of troops there fighting, he decides not to run for a second term. H. H. Humphrey ran against Nixon and Nixon won.

Answer 4

Ford was the only President never elected by the people.
The VP quit so Ford stepped in just before Nixon had to step down.

"All the way with L.B.J." ...
He was elected as VP with JFK. Kennedy had a few PR problems.
- Catholic (so would he be faithful to USA or Vatican)
- Too Young
- Idealist

So LBJ balanced him out.
- Strong voice
- Arms Manufacturer
- Aged

Trouble was, after the shortened car trip in Dallas, LBJ thought he could sell a few more arms if Vietnam was escallated. After all, no-one had heard of the place, so a bit of a skirmish for a few months would add to the arms $$ and after US leaves, Vietnam would never be remembered ... well, it was sort of a good plan

Answer 5

LBJ took office in 1963 after JFK was assassinated. He was President for a year before being elected into office in 1964. And he was President as the Vietnam war escalated. He never lost an election, he just declined to run for office in 1968. He just retired to his ranch in Texas and let his hair grow long.

Why was he elected in 1964? His platform was the "Great Society" which was also called the "War on Poverty". He wanted to usher in social programs to put the people on welfare back to work. He promoted training the poor to be gainfully employed. However, many of his social program were overshadowed by the war he inherited. So I believe that people saw him as continuing the work of JFK and being an proven, and effective politician. He was also more of a peaceful man than his political opponent.

Answer 6

Those of you who have been misinforming everyone by saying he wasn't elected, pay attention please. He became President when JFK was assassinated in 1963. He was ELECTED president in the 1964 election and his Great Society programs greatly advanced anti-poverty, education assisstance, civil rights, and health care. HIs advancement of the War he inherited in Vietnam overshadowed his accomplishments. And although he would have been eligible to run again in 1968, he chose not to as the stress from the war was more than he wanted to handle.

Answer 7

He had the best shot.in more ways than you know. He took
over after JFK was assassinated. He than was elected after wards. Back in that time people were more Patriotic.
It would not cross the minds of Americans, to change Presidents during a War.

Answer 8

It is amazing how many stupid people inhabit this board. Yes LBJ was sworn in as president after JFK's death, but he won the office on his own in 1964 by defeating a republican ticket of Goldwater, Miller by a landslide.

Answer 9

Johnson's "Great Society" views enabled him to spearhead affirmative action, equal treatment of blacks, desegregation of schools, deployment of troops to Alabama to enforce Federal edicts on desegregation. He first ascended to the presidency upon Kennedy's assassination and was elected once. He declined to run for a second term because of the great personal pressures of the Viet Nam war.

Answer 10

The same reason George W Bush was elected the second time...the American people were traumatized by a major event (JFK murder) and in the middle of an escalating war. The sheeple were scared and scammed into voting for a "strong commander in chief". Just like after 9/11 the American press was cornered into supporting a truly evil person for fear of being labeled "un-American".

and YES you "history majors" He WAS elected in 1964...350 days after JFK was assassinated.

And for the morons who think the "Great Society" was a big boon for poor people and has improved America think again...it's Communism/Socialism and has brought us to the point where all Americans think the government will solve all of their problems and protect them like a mother. BAAAAHHH chew chew chew!!!