Was LBJ a racist himself? I expect so. Was he deeply committed to civil rights? Yes, without question. Johnson regarded the war in Vietnam as something he had

Was LBJ a racist himself? I expect so. Was he deeply committed to civil rights? Yes, without question. Johnson regarded the war in Vietnam as something he had inherited from Kennedy. He regarded it as politically impossible to cut losses and pull out--the Republican Party beat on the Democrats for years over China, a more obviously lost cause. Kennedy was younger, richer, and better looking. Then and since many Americans (and not only Americans) have confused their fantasies about him with history.