I thoroughly enjoyed your essay. it was part sermon, part firecracker, and all truth. You make a hell of a case for asking not what Jesus would do, but what Lyndon would’ve hollered and then passed through Congress at 3 a.m. with a threat and a handshake. Those were the days when our politicians had cojones.
I especially appreciated your juxtaposition of Texas stoicism with LBJ New Dealish fury. It’s a brutal irony that we’re wealthier than ever but still treating basic public safety like it's a luxury good. I suppose if the floods don’t get you, the bootstraps might.
Your piece reminded me of a more recent example when the covid hit, South Korea immediately rolled out drive thru testing and government alerts on smartphones. Meanwhile, in parts of the U.S. more notably ruby red magical thinking states we were told to just pray and “do our own research.” WTF! That contrast alone says volumes about infrastructure, leadership n whether we believe collective action is strength or sacrilege.
Also, thank you for the pants call out. That audio of LBJ demanding extra room “underneath where my nuts hang” might be the most disturbingly humanizing presidential moment in American history. Hysterical.
Keep writing. You’re channeling history not just to inform but to provoke n entertain.... the good lord knows we need both 🤣
Man, thanks for a really nice review. When LBJ went to work, he was like a tidal wave of energy. When he wanted to get something done, he just pushed and pushed until he got it.
If you enjoy LBJ stories, you might love Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "lyndon Johnson and the American Dream."
Hey David,
I thoroughly enjoyed your essay. it was part sermon, part firecracker, and all truth. You make a hell of a case for asking not what Jesus would do, but what Lyndon would’ve hollered and then passed through Congress at 3 a.m. with a threat and a handshake. Those were the days when our politicians had cojones.
I especially appreciated your juxtaposition of Texas stoicism with LBJ New Dealish fury. It’s a brutal irony that we’re wealthier than ever but still treating basic public safety like it's a luxury good. I suppose if the floods don’t get you, the bootstraps might.
Your piece reminded me of a more recent example when the covid hit, South Korea immediately rolled out drive thru testing and government alerts on smartphones. Meanwhile, in parts of the U.S. more notably ruby red magical thinking states we were told to just pray and “do our own research.” WTF! That contrast alone says volumes about infrastructure, leadership n whether we believe collective action is strength or sacrilege.
Also, thank you for the pants call out. That audio of LBJ demanding extra room “underneath where my nuts hang” might be the most disturbingly humanizing presidential moment in American history. Hysterical.
Keep writing. You’re channeling history not just to inform but to provoke n entertain.... the good lord knows we need both 🤣
Man, thanks for a really nice review. When LBJ went to work, he was like a tidal wave of energy. When he wanted to get something done, he just pushed and pushed until he got it.
If you enjoy LBJ stories, you might love Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "lyndon Johnson and the American Dream."