>>
>> WELCOME BACK TO SUNDAY SCHOOL OR OFF.
IT HAS BEEN CALLED AMERICA'S
NIGHTMARE YEAR: 1968.
RIOTS, POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS,
BUT THE WORST WAS YET TO COME
WHEN PRESIDENT JOHNSON STUNNED
THE NATION BY ENDING HIS
CAMPAIGN FOR REELECTION.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY STATE
PROFESSOR CHRONICLES 1968 FROM
THE PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE IN
HIS NEW BOOK, LBJ, POWER,
POLITICS, AND THE PRESIDENCY.
IF YOU THINK THE 2018 HAS BEEN A
ROLLER COASTER, HE SHOWS IT
WILL BE HARD TO TOP 1968.
>> THIS IS SUCH A PIVOTAL AND
MONUMENTAL YEAR, I WOULD SAY BY
FAR THE MOST. THE FIFO STILL
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
GOING ON. >> YOU DESCRIBED IT AS THE
NIGHTMARE YEAR, WHY WAS IT THE
NIGHTMARE YEAR?
NIGHTMARE YEAR? >> YOU START WITH THE PLATO
AFFAIR, THE NORTH KOREANS TAKEN
ONE OF OUR SHIPS.
THERE ARE RIOTS, ASSASSINATIONS,
SUPREME COURT NOMINATION
BATTLES, DEMOCRATS IN CHICAGO.
IT IS ONE THING AFTER THE
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. THE PRESIDENT CALLED IT THE
YEAR OF THE CONTINUOUS
NIGHTMARE.
NIGHTMARE. >> IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL WAS
VIETNAM.
VIETNAM.
VIETNAM. HOW DID THAT OVERSHADOW
EVERYTHING?
EVERYTHING? >> THE PRESIDENT IS CONSTANTLY
UNDER FIRE.
UNDER FIRE. EVERYWHERE HE GOES HE IS BEING
PROTESTED.
PROTESTED. HIS DAUGHTER CAN HEAR THE
CHANTING THROUGH THEIR WINDOWS.
IT IS ALL VIETNAM.
IN JANUARY 1968 IT LEADS TO A
MAJOR REORIENTATION OF US
POLICY TOWARD VIETNAM
WITHDRAWAL.
WITHDRAWAL. >> I WANT TO PUT UP THE COVER
PICTURE.
PICTURE.
PICTURE. IT REALLY IS A METAPHOR FOR
THAT YEAR FOR HIM.
HE HAS HIS HEAD DOWN.
THERE IS A BUST OF JFK BEHIND
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. WHAT
HIM. WHAT IS GOING ON?
>> IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC
OF THE JOHNSON PERIOD.
HE IS LISTENING TO HIS SON-IN-
LAW TELL HIM ABOUT LOSING MAN
IN VIETNAM.
IN VIETNAM. THIS IS HOW THIS IS WEIGHING ON
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. HIS
HIM. HIS BROTHER ALSO SAID WHEN HE
LOSES MAN IN VIETNAM HE WAKES
UP THOROUGHLY, HE IS DEPRESSED.
THIS IS WEIGHING ON HIM AND HAS
BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> LETS FLASHBACK TO LINDA
JOHNSON PRE-PRESIDENCY AND EVEN
EARLIER, AFTER JFK'S
ASSASSINATION.
ASSASSINATION. HE WAS THE MASTER OF WASHINGTON,
OF POLITICS.
OF POLITICS. HOW DID THOSE TWO SIDES OF THEM
-- HOW DOES HE PROCESSES?
>> IT IS NOT JUST VIETNAM.
VIETNAM IS ESSENTIAL.
WE HAVE SEEN THE RACE RIOTS IN
1967.
1967.
1967. WE
1967. WE HAVE SEEN THE PROTEST
MOVEMENTS RELATED PRIMARILY TO
VIETNAM, BUT ALSO TO CIVIL
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. HE HAS GONE FROM BEING AT THE
APEX TO THIS LOWER POINT.
HE TRIES TO PROCESS.
I GIVE HIM CRY -- QUITE A LOT
OF CREDIT.
OF CREDIT. >> TALK ABOUT MANAGING THESE
CRISIS IS, HE SHOWED AN
INCREDIBLE CAPABILITY AFTER THE
ASSASSINATION OF JFK FOR
INCREDIBLE POISE IN THAT MOMENT.
DID HE SHOW THAT DURING ONE
CRISIS AFTER ANOTHER?
>> HE DID, LET'S TAKE TO PLAY
BLOW, THE EASY ANSWER WOULD'VE
BEEN TO BOMB THE NORTH KOREANS.
WHAT HE KNEW THAT IF HE DID THAT
THE 82 AMERICANS WOULD DIE.
IT IS FRUSTRATING, HE IS
GETTING PRESSURE MALL SIZE TO
DO ANYTHING AND HE REFUSES
BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO
LOSE THOSE LIVES.
AFTER 11 MONTHS THE NORTH
KOREANS FINALLY GIVE IN.
>> THAT IS A FASCINATING
EPISODE.
EPISODE.
EPISODE. THE USS PUEBLO CAPTURE FOR ONE
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. WE
YEAR. WE SEE THAT THROUGH THE CURRENT
DAY LANDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN
NONSTOP CABLE.
NONSTOP CABLE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THAT EXISTED
BACK THEN?
BACK THEN? >> WITH PLAY BLOW IT IS ONLY A
WEEK BEFORE.
WEEK BEFORE. WE KNOW HOW TV AND OTHERS COVER
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IT
THAT. IT WOULD'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN
BURIED UNDER THAT.
IT WAS SUCH A YEAR WITHOUT WAS
ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER.
IT IS ALWAYS HUNTING JOHNSON,