Two presidents could have been amongst the greats. They racked up impressive legislative victories and reformed government. One helped usher in the Second Reconstruction while the other changed the Cold War paradigm. However, their own obsessive compulsive behaviors led to tragedy. LBJ got bogged down in Vietnam which cost 58,000 American lives, his programs are directly responsible for the deficits that followed in the 1970s and 1980s, and Johnson lost the South for the Democrats which guaranteed GOP ascendancy over the last 40 years. Richard Nixon was forced to resign because of Watergate and some have argued his China policy led directly to recent Chinese ascendancy (I guess the Chinese had nothing to do with it). In the end, those two mistakes (Vietnam for Johnson and Watergate for Nixon) will cling to these two men's legacies forever and overshadow their real contributions.
Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969): Won 1964 election with 61% of the vote
Civil Rights Act (1964)Medicare/Medicaid
Urban Renewal
War on Poverty
Education Reform
Voting Rights Act (1965)
Conservation
Clean air and water
Fair Housing Act (1968)
Richard Nixon (1969-1974):
Re-elected with 60% of the vote
Opened China
Ended Vietnam War
Detente
School Integration
Created the EPA and OSHA
Conservation
Clean air and water
Setup the GOP takeover of the South
Both men had impressive records. However, poor choices led to unequaled unpopularity and historical oblivion.
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