Few political figures are more divisive than President Lyndon B. Johnson. In the eyes of some, he was a great champion of civil rights, an advocate for the poor, and a liberal icon. To others, he was the embodiment of big government, political excess, and utterly coarse manners.
Regardless of which side of the aisle you stand, historians are almost uniformly in agreement that Johnson craved the public’s affection. Much of his most outlandish behavior can be explained by a near compulsion for love and admiration.
That’s why it bothered him so much to see his popularity plummet, the longer he remained in office. When his efforts to make the public think differently didn’t work, he expressed frustration to Dean Acheson, asking, “Why don’t people like me?”
With his typical forthrightness, Acheson responded. “Because you are not a very likeable man.”
Source: The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents: From Wilson to Obama, by Steve F. Hayward
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