Following up Laska’s post about Biden and stretch goals and the need to use the presidency for bold things.  It made me think of LBJ’s first speech as president. It was a national address to both houses of congress and occurred only a few days after the Kennedy assassination.  The purpose of the speech was to re-assure the nation about the continuity of government and the peaceful transition of power in the face of a national tragedy.

If ever there was a time for a safe speech, this was it. But, Johnson decided that he was going to put civil rights front and center of the speech.  Apparently, he met with his aides and writers late one night before the speech.  They were worried about the focus on civil rights.  The president only had so much political capital.  They worried about associating “the prestige of the presidency” with the civil rights protestors.  Johnson cut off the conversation by asking, “what else is  the presidency there for? ”

He went on to make the speech in which the new President of the United States adopted the language of the dispossessed and declared, “We shall overcome.”  Johnson knew to go big or go home.

I was reading Caro’s account of this speech a few years ago when Biden made news by breaking from his talking points and declaring that same sex marriage should be legal.  Thereby forcing Obama to do the same.  And now, same sex marriage happens every day and hardly anyone bats an eye.