Bid for the Presidency: Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and U.S. Foreign Policy, 1957–1960

The apotheosis of political life in the United States is the presidential election. In order to qualify for this election as candidates, party representatives must prove to the public and the leadership of their parties their readiness to become the leader of the nation. Lack of experience or knowledge in a particular area of life can be a serious obstacle on the path to the White House. In any case, candidates try to demonstrate their competence in both domestic and foreign policy issues of the United States, even if this does not correspond to reality. It is interesting to study the experience of Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who considered as a master of domestic politics, but a weak specialist in foreign policy issues. Johnson planned to put forward his candidacy in the presidential election of 1960. During the preparation for the election campaign, he proved himself to be a successful negotiator, a person capable of resolving conflicts and quickly grasping the essence of current problems on the international agenda. His assistants were able to provide their patron with a corresponding PR campaign in the press. But this was not enough. Lyndon Johnson's busy duties as the leader of the Senate majority and his reluctance to delve deeply into the details of international relations led to him limiting himself to populist statements, widely advertised by his office. As a result, the Texas senator's neglect of foreign policy issues led to the United States getting bogged down in the Vietnam conflict, when Johnson became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.