Let's Back Johnson

black and white picture of Johnson on a white button with white text on red

This button was made for the 1964 election where Lyndon Baines Johnson won a landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. Johnson was sometimes known as LBJ, and the slogan on this button shares these initials. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States from 1963, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, until 1969 when he declined to run for reelection. As President, Johnson was sometimes abrasive, but effectively convinced Congress to pass the bills he supported. He was famous for his "Great Society" and "War on Poverty" which helped poor Americans and people of color. He pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1964, created the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and increased spending on public education. Johnson also escalated the Vietnam War, which increased criticism from liberals, at the same time that riots in major cities increased opposition to his policies from conservatives.