3. Presidential Series: PASSAGE OF POWER ~~ Oct. 1st ~ Oct. 7th ~~ Chapter FOUR and FIVE (109 - 156); No Spoilers Please

[G]

Because he was such a face to face person, I wonder how LBJ would have fared in the age of social media. Would he have embraced twitter? JFK would have jumped right in, I think. As was mentioned before, I think time had passed him by and he was hamstrung because of his lack of political (not policy) vision. His form of campaigning was already outdated.

[Bryan]

Social media...great question. Yeah, I don't see it as his style. Maybe not JFK either, depending on what he wanted to get across. Ted Sorenson, yes.

I was a little surprised the campaign folks chose the train. I think it was becoming less of a tool even in 1960. However, I think it worked well for his one on one style of campaigning/politics.

[Craig]

On the other hand, LBJ may not have had the smooth, natural style on TV that Kennedy had, but he did recognize its importance. So perhaps he would have done the same with social media. I think Caro constantly shows us that LBJ understood political power and he would have recognized how today's modern tools are crucial to controlling that power in the way that newspapers traditionally helped politicians gain and maintain authority.

[G]

Craig wrote: "On the other hand, LBJ may not have had the smooth, natural style on TV that Kennedy had, but he did recognize its importance. So perhaps he would have done the same with social media. I think Ca..."

Actually, I am not sure he did understand (at this point) the nature of political power at this level, but that remains for the next chapter. He was obtuse, stubborn and often didn't listen. That is not someone with real power, which isn't bought.

[Tomerobber]

I'm ready for the next week discussion . . I've already read the chapters . . . very interesting!

[Bryan]

G wrote: "Actually, I am not sure he did understand (at this point) the nature of political power at this level, but that remains for the next chapter. He was obtuse, stubborn and often didn't listen. That is not someone with real power, which isn't bought..."

You both raised a good point. Because LBJ understood power very well, he does fail at this time, G, I agree. This is what is so shocking.

I guess all great athletes have a slump. I would say LBJ is in a slump.

[Bryan]

I have a good quote to remember as we move on. We talk about presidential power and we all agree the power to persuade is one of them.

Here is what political scientist Richard Neustadt states," The essence of a President's persuasive task, with congressmen and everybody else, is to induce them to believe that what he wants of them is in their interest, not his." (p. 40)

Richard E. Neustadt

[Ann D]

Excellent, Bryan.

[Bryan]

Welcome, Ann, I had to include it when I read it :-)

[Tomerobber]

Bryan wrote: "
Here is what political scientist Richard Neustadt states," T..."

And Lyndon was a master at doing that . . . as I delve more into the first volume of the series . . Caro does a great job of describing how he honed that ability when he was attending college . . .
. . . members of a clique that had scorned Lyndon Johnson. By the time he graduated in August, 1930, all had been replaced by members of a clique led, in fact if not in name, by Lyndon Johnson. His enemies had been supplanted by his allies, and with remarkable speed. In little more than a year, he, a young man with a long-standing interest in politics but absolutely no political experience, had manipulated a campus political structure -- created a campus political structure -- so that he, still one of the most disliked students on campus, exerted over it more influence than any other student. p.272/1367 iTunes Ed.
As I mentioned before this was LBJ's HUBRIS . . . his NEMESIS is waiting for him in the wings . . .

by Robert A. Caro

[Bryan]

There you go, Tomerobber. And you wonder if all the clique felt they were doing themselves a favor by following LBJ.