Note, Lady Bird Johnson, 1/15/1968
Title:
Note, Lady Bird Johnson, 1/15/1968Number of Pages:
3Description:
Notes for possible statement on LBJ decision to retireContributor:
Johnson, Lady Bird, 1912-2007Collection:
Personal Papers of Lyndon and Lady Bird JohnsonCollection Description:
Go to List of HoldingsSeries:
Post-Courtship LettersSee Also:
See all scanned items from the Personal Papers of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, Box 3; See all scanned items from file unit "January-March 1968 President's Decision Not to Run, 1968"Subject:
LBJ speeches and statements; Lady Bird Johnson personal; ElectionsArchivist's General Note:
Scans are of the originals, but the box numbers refer to the service setRights:
The donor(s) of these records transferred their copyright to the U.S. government and their writings are therefore in the public domain. This file may also contain materials from other sources that may retain copyright.Specific Item Type:
CorrespondenceType:
TextFormat:
PaperIdentifier:
pp-ctjandlbj-b3-f06-i2Date:
1968-01-15Time Period:
Presidential (Nov. 22, 1963-Jan. 20, 1969)Transcript:
Jan. 15, ‘68
And now to my personal plans. I shall devote all the energy, the brains, and the heart I have, in the year ahead, toward achieving what all of us want most – a just and honorable peace, and toward furthering building the programs for our country to which I have devoted the four years of my Presidency.
I know from 30 years experience the (crushing) demands of a campaign – from primaries, thru convention, thru the campaign itself –a nine months involvement demanding hours of each day. I cannot spend [or] use the same 24 hours of the day to do both. The time has
2
come to look at priorities, quite clearly for myself and for the country. I choose to fulfill, with all the strength I have, my first obligation – to the job of the Presidency.
Therefore I will not be a candidate for re-election (and I will not permit my name to go on the ballot in any primaries).
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I also know the weight of today’s problems, national and international, in the chair where I sit that tests the mind and strength and use of time.