Lara Gorgis
HIST 112-015 Research Paper
5 April 2016
As former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton understands the struggles and
responsibility that comes with being a high-powered official who’s every move is
analyzed by the world. She is also no stranger to the White House, being a former
president’s wife as well. Clinton definitely has the political experience that most people
expect of someone who is most likely to receive their party’s nomination for president,
but it will be hard to know if she is really ready for the job until she actually takes office.
President Lyndon B. Johnson had to fill the shoes of the highest office in the country after
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and nine months afterwards on August 25,
1964 we can see how he was faring through transcripts of presidential recordings.
This was a particularly difficult time for President Johnson because he was
considering dropping out of the presidential race while the Democratic National
Convention was going on. He was questioning his overall likability and his ability to run
the country to the benefit of people of all races. Being the President of the United States
is a physically and mentally draining job and it is quite possible that once being elected to
office, Hillary Clinton may realize that she is not up for the immense job at hand. That is
why it is important to know what the qualities of a good president are. President Johnson
demonstrated both good and bad qualities throughout his presidency and those will be
identified throughout his proceedings on this day in history.
On the day of August 25, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was navigating the
events of the 1964 Democratic National Convention, which including the controversy
with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), his own nomination, and
choosing a Vice Presidential candidate. President Johnson spent his whole day on the
phone consulting with his trusted aides about these issues, mostly addressing the
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Lara Gorgis
HIST 112-015 Research Paper
5 April 2016
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, a controversy that would play a part in his short-
lived decision to withdraw himself from the Presidential race.
First, to provide some background on the MFDP, it originated in 1962 as a part of
the Council of Federated Organizations, an entity that had the purpose of bringing
together groups involved in voter registration campaigns and civil rights organizing. The
motivation behind creating the MFDP was to challenge the all-white Democratic Party of
the state of Mississippi and was in response to Jim Crow laws that had been in place
since Reconstruction. The mostly black delegation of the MFDP set its sites on the 1964
Democratic National Convention and the Credentials Committee in Atlantic City, New
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