Nov. 4, 1964 - For the first time in many weeks, President Johnson and Senator Hubert Humphrey had no talking to do on the record.
The two victorious Democratic candidates celebrated their election at the Presidents LBJ Ranch near Johnson City, Tex., at a barbecue for the White House press corps and White House staff.
They entertained their guests and each other with playful speeches reminiscent of a Gridiron Club dinner, but it was all off the record.
Early today, at 1:40 a.m., Johnson appeared at the Austin Municipal Auditorium to address several thousand persons on the occasion of his election. He said then of his landslide victory:
“I doubt that there have ever been so many people seeing so many things alike on decision day, and with that understanding and with the help of all of them, we will be on our way to try to achieve peace in our time for our people and to try to keep our people prosperous.”
The President stressed the need for national unity in the wake of a long, hard‐fought campaign.
“We have voted as many,” he said, “but tonight we must face the world as one.”
In an indirect reference to the conservative challenge by Senator Barry Goldwater, Johnson said the vote “reaffirms the achievements and the policies which have emerged over generations from common American principles. It is a mandate for unity.”
The barbecue was a happy affair for two obviously happy candidates. The President had stayed up in Austin until 4 a.m. this morning, talking away the night. But he looked completely fresh this afternoon. Humphrey had flown from Minneapolis to Austin this morning.
The President looked pleased as he led Humphrey out of the Johnson ranch home. Humphrey was dressed in a five‐gallon hat, a silk tie, a borrowed Western jacket, and a pair of borrowed cowboy boots that seemed two sizes too large for him.
The President was similarly dressed. However, unlike Humphrey, he was wearing the clothes and not vice versa. To Humphrey’s good-natured dismay, Johnson then produced two horses, Humphrey’s being slightly smaller. Humphrey gallantly mounted his horse and rode about with the President while photographers recorded the scene.
“Make the horses smile,” shouted a cameraman.
Despite a persistent stream of advice on horsemanship from the President, Humphrey had difficulty in directing his mount in the required direction. In the end, a ranch hand took the bridle and led Humphrey back into the farmyard.
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