Tale of Two Presidents

Of the millions of people who have lived in America, only 43 men have been elected President of the United States. It is difficult to compare a president in one era to a president in an entirely new era; however, it is necessary to do so in order to gain a frame of reference for presidential legacy and leadership.

After the death of John Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson became president. From ’63 to ’69, LBJ steered the country through domestic turmoil at home and aboard. His domestic initiatives were bold, but ultimately overshadowed by the bloody war in Vietnam. Our current president, George W. Bush, is similar to LBJ for both his bold domestic agenda and a war that will ultimately overshadow any accomplishments made by his administration. Although Bush and Johnson’s domestic agendas are completely dissimilar, the underlying focus of two presidents defined by failed wars is apparent.

In all respects, the war in Iraq is lost. A proposed surge of over 21,000 troops is unlikely to turn the tide of the insurgency. Testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, four-star General Barry McCaffery stated, “I personally think the surge of five U.S. Army brigades and a few Marine battalions dribbled out over five months is a fool’s errand.” The Iraq War and its consequences will define the legacy of the Bush administration as the Vietnam War defined that of LBJ. George W. Bush remains resolute in his faith that democracy, if given time, will thrive in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. His faith, however, will not stop the carnage and chaos that will no doubt consume Iraq in the coming months and years.

Johnson increased troop levels in Vietnam. Like Bush, Johnson remained steadfast in the face of criticism from the public, press, politicians, and military officials. It was Johnson’s belief that the policy of containment was necessary to halt the spread of communism in Asia.  His commitment was also tested and broken by the harsh realities on the ground in Vietnam, war the U.S. subsequently lost.

Wars have defined presidents before Johnson and they will no doubt define presidents after Bush. What is unusual is how the Vietnam and Iraqi conflicts have overshadowed innovative and sometimes iconoclastic domestic initiatives brought forth by the two presidents. While most of the American people remember Johnson for his Vietnam policy, few recall the Great Society programs, civil rights legislation, and the War on Poverty.

Programs now taken for granted, including Medicaid and Medicare, were established under the Johnson administration. The Voting Rights Act, Higher Education Act, and Civil Rights Act were all advanced and ultimately signed by Johnson. Although history has framed Johnson mainly in terms of the Vietnam War, it must be remembered that much of what we take for granted in modern America was created not at the birth of our republic, or even a century ago, but only four decades ago by a man handed the presidency through assassination. 

The war in Iraq is now invariably tied to George W. Bush.  Whether for good or bad, the reality in Iraq overshadows the domestic laws signed and influenced by Bush.
The bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the Medicare act of 2003, and the $1.3 trillion tax cut of 2001 have all significantly altered education, healthcare, and the economy of the United States. Although Bush’s domestic policies have been criticized on both sides of the aisle, they still have made a notable impact on the American people.

Striking similarities are evident in the presidential career of Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush. LBJ’s liberal agenda, which dramatically re-shaped and gave hope to millions of Americans, will go unrecognized by most of the American people because of a war in the Far East. The conservative agenda of George W. Bush will also go unnoticed in the future, as the failure in Iraq becomes the most important event at the turn of the 21st century. It is a story of men who were overshadowed by global conflicts that spun out of control. It is a tale of two presidents.