Lyndon B. Johnson aligns himself with John F. Kennedy, rises to the Presidency, and deals with the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
LBJ centers on the political upheaval that Vice President Johnson faced when he was thrust into the presidency at the hands of an assassin's bullet in November 1963. With political battles on both sides of the aisle, Johnson struggles to heal a nation and secure his presidency by passing Kennedy's historic Civil Rights Act.
In the immediate aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, Lyndon Johnson faces off against enemies from within his own party and his own White House as he frantically struggles to secure the legitimacy of his presidency before it slips through his fingers forever.
The story centers around the political upheaval that Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson (Woody Harrelson) faced when he was thrust into the presidency at the hands of an assassin's bullet in November 1963. On 22nd Nov 1963 JFK (Jeffrey Donovan) was killed in Dallas Texas. that day LBJ was in the 3rd car with wife Lady Bird Johnson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). JFK was in the 1st car with wife Jacqueline Kennedy (Kim Allen).It's clear to LBJ that JFK is the clear favorite with the crowds, although he slightly dislike playing 2nd fiddle.
Texas Senator Ralph Yarborough (Bill Pullman) doesn't get along with LBJ and has indeed refused to ride with him in the motorcade. 4 years ago, Yarborough didn't support LBJ on his farm support bill in the senate and also endorsed JFk for presidency (saying that he had more in common with JFK than LBJ). Staying in the flashback, Robert F. Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) asks LBJ on a hunting trip if he is running for President and LBJ flatly denies, although a few weeks later without LBJ's knowledge there are posters all over Texas announcing his candidature. LBJ is furious & refuses to run, saying that he is afraid that people won't love him.Eventually his team persuades him to run, but he loses to JFK in the democratic primaries. JFK, without consulting Robert, offers the Vice Presidency to LBJ. He thinks that he needs the Southern votes to win the US Presidency and LBJ can deliver. LBJ's team tells him that only 10 men (out of 36) who had been VPs ever went on to be President. His team also feels that LBJ will be more powerful as Senate majority leader than as VP. LBJ ignores them and accepts.
JFK wins. Kenneth O'Donnell (Michael Mosley) is Robert's friend & hates LBJ as much as he does. Right after inauguration, LBJ asks JFK for oversight of CIA, FBI, State Dept and NASA. Robert wants to humiliate LBJ, but JFK assigns Kenneth to indulge LBJ and keep him from causing problems.To keep LBJ busy, JFK hands him chairmanship of the Federal Equal Employment committee, a job that has defeated 3 presidents in the past due to the differences between Northerners and Southerners. Again, LBJ sees an opportunity to bridge the divide between North and South and create a support base for himself for the 1968 elections.The Equal employment committee pursues equal treatment for African Americans in employment. LBJ uses his persuasion skills to nudge Senators (Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) of Texas) and Contractors to go just that little bit extra to keep both sides happy.
Still, the civil rights issue blows up in US in 1962/63. Southern states refuse to treat African Americans equally & protests turn violent. JFK wants LBJ to use the equal employment committee to award govt contracts only to progressive states, but LBJ is able to convince him to build them in Southern states with contracts guidelines specifying mixed work-forces. LBJ wins the day as the contract becomes reality.The fight then moves to the CIvil rights bill that JFK wants to introduce to Congress. Richard Russell swears to LBJ to defeat the same. LBJ asks JFK to postpone introducing the bill to Congress, but JFK decides to press ahead regardless. LBJ meets Robert and asks him if JFK will keep him on the ticket in 1964. He realizes that the true game is to keep LBJ politically irrelevant, so that JFK can handover the Presidency to Robert in 1968.
After Kennedy's death, Sarah Hughes administers the oath of the office for LBJ in front of Jackie Kennedy. LBJ acts with characteristic calm & takes control. He treats Jackie with the utmost respect. Although LBJ insists on taking the oath of office at the earliest, despite Robert having objections to it.Senator Richard Russell is ecstatic that a Southern is finally the President of USA. he brings the entire Southern States senate delegation to the White House to congratulate LBJ. Robert is furious that LBJ has ordered JFK's staff to clear out the WH asap. Although LBJ offers Robert to stay on as Attorney General. JFK's cabinet members decide to serve LBJ as they see that as the only way to carry on JFK's legacy & to finish JFK's agenda, while waiting for Robert to be elected President.
With political battles on both sides of the aisle, Johnson works to heal a nation and decides to back Kennedy's historic Civil rights legislation. He gets Ted Sorensen (Brent Bailey) to write his speech to the joint session of Congress. He gets right down to the business of getting the votes together and wins Senator Ralph Yarborough support to begin with. Senator Richard Russell is angry with LBJ for betraying him & LBJ calls him a racist to his face.LBJ delivers a stirring speech to the Joint session of Congress, which is part Eulogy and part defining his agenda for the rest of his Presidency. The Rights act was signed into Law on 2nd July 1964. On Nov 3rd, 1964, LBJ was re-elected as President with the largest margin of victory since 1820 (winning 44 states). In the next term he continued his progressive agenda, setting up Medicare, Medicaid, and the Voting Rights act. By 1968, LBJ embroiled ever more in the Vietnam war, saw challenges from the within the party, including Robert Kennedy. On 31st March 1968, he declared not running for another term as President. He was the last sitting President not to run for re-election.
