" Not surprisingly , then , Johnson joined the fight in South Vietnam with extreme reluctance . He feared the domestic repercussions either of a North Vietnamese victory or of putting the nation on a full wartime footing . For Roosevelt , World War II had stunted the New Deal ; for Truman , the fall of China to the Communists and the Korean War had dashed any hope of progressive domestic legislation .
That night I began to realize what Johnson had truly decided : he had not simply decided to fight the War in Vietnam ; he had made another big decision --- to continue full - steam - ahead fighting for his progressive vision . Unlike Roosevelt and Truman , Johnson was not going to let that ' Bitch of a War ' destroy the woman he really loved -- his Great Society .
While I could not fathom the consequences of the President's decision , I did realize as I dozed off that Johnson would pursue this course with all of his legendary energy , commitment , and cunning , and that we were setting course on a daring and high - risk adventure . "

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