Lyndon Johnson was behind in the final stretch of his first campaign for Congress. He made two improvements, according to Robert Caro. He doubled down on referring to General Burleson's support (workers of his campaign scattered through the audience would should "General Burleson is right." Another would should back "Let's send a young man to Congress." A third would should "Let's do what Burleson says!"
The other improvement was provided by his father.
There was a tactic, Sam Johnson said, that could make the leaders' opposition work for him, instead of against him. The same tactic, Sam said, could make the adverse newspaperpolls work for him, instead of against him. It could even make the youth issue work for him. If the leaders were against him, he told his son, stop trying to conceal that fact; emphasize it -- in a dramatic fashion. If he was behind in the race, emphasize that -- in a dramatic fashion. If he was younger than the other candidates, emphasize that.
If no leader would introduce Lyndon [at a speech], Sam said, he should stop searching for mediocre adults as substitutes, but instead should be introduced by a young child, an outstanding young child.And the child should introduce him not as an adult would introduce him, but with a poem, a very special poem.
And that's what Johnson did, to great effect.
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