Obama vs. LBJ

[unrepentant progress]

Via historian Corey Robin: http://coreyrobin.com/2013/05/20/obama-at-morehouse-lbj-at-howard

LBJ at Howard University:

"But freedom is not enough. You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please. You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, “you are free to compete with all the others,” and still justly believe that you have been completely fair."

Obama at Morehouse College:

"Nobody cares how tough your upbringing was. Nobody cares if you suffered some discrimination. And moreover, you have to remember that whatever you’ve gone through, it pales in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured — and they overcame them. And if they overcame them, you can overcome them, too. ...if you stay hungry, if you keep hustling, if you keep on your grind and get other folks to do the same — nobody can stop you."

[Luminous Animal]

1. Hey. I do care about other's "tough" upbringing. I do care that people suffer discrimination.

I do remember what others' have gone through and build on that knowledge to keep my eyes on the prize. I recognize that Others' overcame (to the extent that they have) through collective action.

[treestar]

2. Almost 50 years apart

for one thing. Not on the same subject really, for another.

[Archae]

3. Besides, LBJ was corrupt as hell.

He didn't get the moniker "Landslide Lyndon" for nothing.

And I will never forgive him for Vietnam.

[mountain grammy]

4. Medicare and Civil Rights?

[Archae]

5. Those were good.

But they don't make up for his fiasco of Vietnam and "Escalation."

It's just like those who say Nixon was a great guy because he started the EPA.

[WinkyDink]

15. Approx. 21,000 Americans died under Nixon's "plan to end the war." So not ALL LBJ.

[unrepentant progress]

6. That's simply idiotic

If you go down that road, you invalidate all the good that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, JFK, and Jimmy Carter did as well. Every man is a monster, and we shouldn't forget their monstrous deeds but neither should we forget their contributions. Hell, even Richard friggin Milhous Nixon did some great things. And yeah, I extend the same courtesy to Obama.

[ananda]

7. Well ..

.. compared to today's politicos, including Obama, LBJ looks good.

[unrepentant progress]

8. Given what we've learned in recent years about how close LBJ was to peace in Vietnam

And how Nixon deliberately and personally sabotaged the peace talks, I think LBJ deserves reconsideration on the left.

[woo me with science]

9. Bootstraps, baby.

If you don't have a job, you're obviously not trying hard enough!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022876556

Oh, and let's cut Social Security, too!

[The Link]

10. There is no comparison between Obama and LBJ.

Obama could not carry LBJ's jockstrap.

[woo me with science]

11. Where is bvar22's post

about what it means to be a REAL Democrat?

What was wrong with the Old Democrats?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1133448

The Elites Are Unanimous: Lower Everyone's Wages and Standard of Living -- Except They Don't Say it
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002979631

[forestpath]

14. +1000

[SidDithers]

12. Hey, Hey, LBJ. How many kids did you kill today?...

LBJ's solution for all those minorities throwing off their chains was to draft 'em and send 'em to Vietnam.

Sid

[WinkyDink]

16. So you think "race," "gender," and "age" are synonyms? Because, you know, there are A-A females,

and A-A children and elderly.

[forestpath]

13. LBJ sure as hell cared, in words and actions. Obama's idea of "caring" = scolding.