 "Photo: Jeffrey McWhorter, Daily Texan Staff")
As President Lyndon B. Johnson’s speechwriter, Harry Middleton was careful never to use words that reminded the public of Johnson’s cowboy background.
“When newspapers began referring to him as the ‘cowboy president,’ he didn’t like [that],” said Middleton, director emeritus of the LBJ Library and Museum. “He was certain that the Eastern papers meant it in a derogatory manner, and it would have irritated him if I had mentioned it in his speeches.”
The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is currently hosting a Cowboys and Presidents exhibit that explores the ongoing intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics. Head of exhibits Toni Beldock said that so far more than 13,000 people have visited the exhibit.
“The exhibit also illustrates how the press, foreign governments and domestic political opponents have found cowboy imagery useful in critiquing presidential policy and leadership,” Beldock said.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Middleton spoke to more than 40 people about the decisions Johnson faced during his presidency Wednesday afternoon at the Bob Bullock museum. He focused on the historical and unpopular decisions that were made during the Vietnam War.
Middleton said Johnson expressed fear early in his career that once elected he would get trapped in a war that he inherited. Johnson thought failure in Vietnam would start a third world war, he said.
“It was that fear of leading the nation and world into a nuclear holocaust that led him into a fateful decision,” Middleton said. “I wrote speeches to justify our course in Vietnam. I look back on it now and wonder how we could have been so massively wrong.”
However, Middleton said he thinks the time will come when Johnson’s name will be counted among the greats because of the progress he made on Medicaid and educational and civil rights.
Judi Holter traveled with her husband from Colorado to visit the museum and LBJ Ranch. Holter said her image of Johnson was mainly negative until she attended the exhibit.
“I didn’t realize that Johnson had done so many good things, especially in regard to Medicaid,” Holter said. “We are very interested in history and particularly enjoyed this exhibit.”
Middleton said that though most historians say Vietnam was a great mistake, Johnson went to his deathbed thinking he had made the right decision in staying the course. Middleton also gave details of a conversation he had with Johnson in which the president said that though he may not see it in his lifetime, his children’s generation would see a black president.
“I think had he lived to see this election, he would have been euphoric,” Middleton said. “He would have looked upon this as a great fruition of the long hope he had.”
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