policy - The Black Vault

'THE BDM CORPORATION
'
Of
particular importance in the case of the Tet offensive was the
reaction of the elite decision makers who comprised Johnson's panel of
advisers called the "Wise Men." Their change of opinion concerning the
viability of the US policy, coupled with fast-breaking political developments
including Senator Eugene McCarthy's strong showing in the New Hampshire
Democratic primary and the announcement by Robert Kennedy that he
would seek the presidential nomination, were decisive in shaping President
Johnson's reaction to Tet and to his own political future. In a real
sense, Johnson's political career may have been a victim of the political
reactions that had been stimulated by the reporting on Tet which initially
presented the offensive as a significant defeat for the United States.
is equally possible that Johnson's own failure to respond in a strong
"presidental" manner to the Tet attacks helped to create a "crisis of
confidence" in Washington, and encouraged his foes to mnove out against him.
The credibility gap which developed began in the Kennedy administration
and widened during the Johnson administration.
It
The media and the
public were led slowly to the belief that government declarations could not
be trusted, and the deceptions and half-truths which were told about the
war were gradually proven false during the course of the war as documented
by the Pentagon Papers.
Concerning the necessity of avoiding the kind of
credibility gap that weakened US policy in Vietnam, Bill Moyers,
Press Secretary, wrote:
Johnson's
So much for the tension between public opinion and
public officials. It should be cobvious that a President
faces no quest more difficult than the search for
an accurate reading of how far and how fast he can lead
the people. As difficult as the task is, he must try.
"He must try because there are questions on which governments
dare not act without evidence of genuine
support. When policies and laws outdistance public
opinion, or take public opinion for granted, or fail to
command respect in the conscience of the people, they
lose their "natural" legitimacy.
As with any rootless condition, the democratic
experience then becomes infected with malaise. Pe6ple
feel estranged from their government, seemingly powerless
to alter the way things are. They may challenge
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