This is a perpetuation of “The Vision Thing, Part I.”
Let’s continue with Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War. One could assume that there was no anticipated outcome to the fighting in Vietnam, and that may be true. Or, Johnson might have just wanted to keep the intended outcome a secret, as not to spoil the surprise ending. Whatever the case, no one really knew what we hoped to accomplish there. Also, his efforts to combat poverty also had unforeseen consequences: it empowered local activists who rallied against officials of the same ideology as Johnson, thus weakening his support on the local level.
Flash forward to Richard Nixon, whose political aspirations were somewhat defined, especially on the international stage. At a 1971 banquet in China, he said “Let us in these next five days start a march together…leading to the same goal: the goal of building a world structure in which all may stand together in equal dignity…” Nixon was ready to take the steps necessary to accomplish what he wanted. But perhaps in some areas Nixon was too motivated.
The practicality of Gerald Ford’s vision did not lend itself to overwhelming popularity; however his perseverance, especially in regards to his domestic agenda, is to be applauded. Ford got a lot of flak for pardoning Nixon, but ultimately I think he knew it would be a good idea for the nation in the future. What would have happened if Nixon had not been pardoned by Ford? Bad things.
Jimmy Carter was viewed as a good guy. His campaign promise of “I will never lie to you” resounded well in the wake of political corruption and the public’s wary opinion of the executive. However, his “lofty ideals” were rarely reciprocated in any concrete legislation, apart from his domestic human rights initiatives. Carter struggled with translating these ideas into anything solid internationally, especially in regards to China.
To sum up, Johnson had difficulty finding the light at the end of the tunnel, Nixon was well defined but not well refined, Ford had more wisdom than we like to give him credit for, and Carter was visionary only skin deep.
Will there be a Part III? Perhaps. There is in real life, anyway.
