Johnson was terrible, that’s for sure. And what made the terrible things about LBJ a reality was the 89th Congress, where the ‘Rats had a supermajority in both Houses. That was back in the day when 2/3rds majority was needed in the Senate to move legislation. On some issues the ‘Rats could get things done because the Southern Democrats could stop their own party. That’s why Dirksen’s 1/3 minority was sometimes needed in a compromise mode. If not for the Southern Dems, the rest of the ‘Rats would have told Dirksen to take his 1/3 minority and bugger out.
Very true. Obama ruled with a pen. Johnson had Congress rubberstamping anything and everything he wanted to do. Over 155 Acts and laws were passed during his administration.
There were plenty of Republicans in that 89th Congress who passed LBJ’s programs for him. In fact you’ll often hear conservative talking heads boasting about how Republicans were responsible passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Well they’re right, although that doesn’t explain why any conservative with a lick of sense would brag about it. Both Goldwater and Ronald Reagan opposed the bill, knowing where it would ultimately lead.