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LBJ Visits Akron

Oct. 21, 1964 - Lyndon Baines Johnson gave Akron, Ohio, one of his famous political pep pills today — a short, high-powered dose of the LBJ campaign style that he’s counting on to keep him on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

Stepping from his jet at Akron-Canton Airport to a tremendous roar from a crowd of more than 4,000, the President immediately plunged into the human mass and began pumping hands. Johnson is the first President-in-office to visit Akron in 16 years.

His enthusiastic response to Akron’s accolade continued as his motorcade moved through a crowd of chilly but cheering thousands into downtown Akron, where another huge throng awaited his speech at the University of Akron’s Memorial Hall.

Johnson, obviously pleased with the welcome, turned serious at Memorial Hall — speaking on national defense and adding some blistering comments about the stand of his GOP opponent, Sen. Barry Goldwater.

“There is only one road to peace,” Johnson told more than 4,000 in the hall. “That is to work at it, step by step and year by year, never to become reckless and never to become weary of the journey.”
Without mentioning Goldwater by name, Johnson said his opponent had “placed under attack all of the policies which have brought us close to peace.

“They stand in opposition to the collective wisdom of leaders of both parties experience in foreign affairs,” Johnson said.

Turning his attention to Asia, Johnson said China was ambitious and aggressive, but the U.S. had the strength “to help our Asian friends resist that ambition.”
“Sometimes our folks get a little impatient,” Johnson said. “Sometimes they rattle their rockets some, and they bluff about their bombs. But we are not about to send American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves.”

Nevertheless, the President pledge to continue to try to make the South Vietnamese “more effective and more efficient, and do our best to resolve that situation to where the aggressors will leave their neighbors alone.”

Applause filled the hall as the President left the stage.

Johnson’s Akron visit climaxed what many local Democrats describe as an amazing influx of party luminaries this fall.

Hubert Humphrey, Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Luther Hodges, among others, all have been in Akron in recent weeks pumping for the national ticket and local candidates.



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