You Are LBJ [CYOA]

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Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

QuoProQuid posted:

It would be fantastic if we could somehow save Khrushchev and avoid the human molasses that is Breznhev. As far as achieving that goal, though, I have no idea. We aren't in any position to influence the inner workings of the Soviet Union and with the election coming up, we can't give Khrushchev any small victories that might sate his hardliners.

Would it be too far-fetched to play catch-up with Khrushchev, either he mentions that he's under heavy stress from Breznhev's faction first or we bring up JFK-Cuba (if that turns out to be true), we propose to keep silent about Cuba if we help him with his internal problems?

QuoProQuid posted:

I love this idea, actually. Not sure what to call it though. The Hadrian Option?

Changing my vote to this for #2.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 00:56

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# ? May 4, 2024 09:00

Bhaal: Jul 13, 2001; I ain't going down alone; Dr. Infant, MD

1. B - Agree with the above that we send someone savvy enough to tie this to the Red Scare, which gives us some levers to claim victory in a variety of ways so we can maintain our image of being tough on communism.

2. D - Let's have RFK be the founder of Infowars on this alternate time stream. He's obviously intelligent, but he's too close to the assassination to keep his head clear, so let's seize this opportunity to start him on the path of blooming into a full conspiracy loon. Modify some CIA documents to make clear ties from the Mafia to Cuban agents. Then plant rumors of a US ally running false flag operations in Cuba, and further rumors in other circles that those cuban agents with ties to the mafia are not actually Cuban. Lead him to those rumors covertly, breadcrumbs leading to breadcrumbs. If we're successful, we'll cary the '68 election and by the time Neil and Buzz are stomping around on the moon, we'll have made an actual fake moon landing landscape in a hollywood backlot and have leaked photos and evidence of it to RFK--who at this point has stopped shaving and is prone to shouting incoherent tirades in public.

At our age you have to have some hobbies to keep yourself active.

Bhaal has issued a correction as of 01:23 on Feb 6, 2016

# ? Feb 6, 2016 01:19

Slaan: Mar 16, 2009; ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH

1.B

2. C

Yeah, let's let the State Department take the fall if things don't work out. Nobody really cares about them anyways, not like they care about the military or White House at least.

The Mafia are the perfect scape goat. RFK will be too interested in hunting them down to bother us electorally, and it helps us take control of the machines in Chicago, Boston, et all once they are gone.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 01:38

Combed Thunderclap: Jan 4, 2011

1. B. This isn't important enough for the President himself to go and fix, but we're going to need someone a little more creative than a General to fix this mess. Lodge is perfect for the job.

2. A. Tell Kennedy not to go after the Cubans, and he'll go after the Cubans and really gently caress things up. Tell him to go after the Mafia, and he'll go after the Mafia, and who knows how that would unravel? Best to just let Robert stay confused and not try to manipulate him when we don't know what the consequences will be.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 04:28

don Jaime: Apr 3, 2004

rakovsky maybe posted:

Who should you send to mediate the Indonesia-Malaysia conflict and tour East Asian allies?
B. Ambassador to South Vietnam Henry Cabot Lodge could integrate this Asian trip as part of a broader anti-communist strategy in the Pacific.

I'd honestly rather send LBJ himself, but I want him in country to catch the Beatles on the boob tube for some reason.

quote:

Should you push RFK�s investigation in a certain direction?
A. He seems pretty confused right now, let him stay that way. Don�t push him in any direction.

I'd amend this to say that the whole point of giving him the investigation is to keep him busy, and ideally as confused and overwhelmed as possible. I don't want to push him in any direction; I want to push him in EVERY direction. The more unhinged he sounds when he makes his case, the less anyone will ever listen to him.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 06:31

fronz: Apr 7, 2009; Lipstick Apathy

Bhaal posted:

1. B - Agree with the above that we send someone savvy enough to tie this to the Red Scare, which gives us some levers to claim victory in a variety of ways so we can maintain our image of being tough on communism.

2. D - Let's have RFK be the founder of Infowars on this alternate time stream. He's obviously intelligent, but he's too close to the assassination to keep his head clear, so let's seize this opportunity to start him on the path of blooming into a full conspiracy loon. Modify some CIA documents to make clear ties from the Mafia to Cuban agents. Then plant rumors of a US ally running false flag operations in Cuba, and further rumors in other circles that those cuban agents with ties to the mafia are not actually Cuban. Lead him to those rumors covertly, breadcrumbs leading to breadcrumbs. If we're successful, we'll cary the '68 election and by the time Neil and Buzz are stomping around on the moon, we'll have made an actual fake moon landing landscape in a hollywood backlot and have leaked photos and evidence of it to RFK--who at this point has stopped shaving and is prone to shouting incoherent tirades in public.

At our age you have to have some hobbies to keep yourself active.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 09:41

Cerebral Bore: Apr 21, 2010; Fun Shoe

B

A

Bobby running around in circles is great. If he ends up drawing crazy conclusions then that's even better. Let him come up with some crackpot theory and discredit himself and we won't have to worry about that primary challenge.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 10:37

reignofevil: Nov 7, 2008

B

A

I am a little worried that resting on our laurels will cost us later if we should decide to try and push him a certain way; but I agree with the idea that he might well sound like a lunatic if he ever puts it all together so let's let him be for now.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 17:17

Gen. Ripper: Jan 12, 2013

B and C. RFK might come up with loony conclusions if left to his own devices, but there's no guarantee the public will see them as loony. Best to just let him pound on the Mafia.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 21:52

C. Everett Koop: Aug 18, 2008

Bhaal posted:

1. B - Agree with the above that we send someone savvy enough to tie this to the Red Scare, which gives us some levers to claim victory in a variety of ways so we can maintain our image of being tough on communism.

2. D - Let's have RFK be the founder of Infowars on this alternate time stream. He's obviously intelligent, but he's too close to the assassination to keep his head clear, so let's seize this opportunity to start him on the path of blooming into a full conspiracy loon. Modify some CIA documents to make clear ties from the Mafia to Cuban agents. Then plant rumors of a US ally running false flag operations in Cuba, and further rumors in other circles that those cuban agents with ties to the mafia are not actually Cuban. Lead him to those rumors covertly, breadcrumbs leading to breadcrumbs. If we're successful, we'll cary the '68 election and by the time Neil and Buzz are stomping around on the moon, we'll have made an actual fake moon landing landscape in a hollywood backlot and have leaked photos and evidence of it to RFK--who at this point has stopped shaving and is prone to shouting incoherent tirades in public.

At our age you have to have some hobbies to keep yourself active.

I agree with B. We may have not put our full might behind a War on Communism in favor of a War on Poors but it needs to be in the forefront of our minds. The sooner we can stomp out the reds the better off we are.

I agree with the idea of D but it has the real potential to backfire. RFK's still popular in the public and whatever he says has a high probability to be regarded as gospel, no matter how we try to plant and paint. However, we can't let him continue to run around and kick up stone unchecked, because the odds that he kicks over something that damages us, inadvertently or not, rises the longer he goes.

C is the best plan here. The Mob is an annoyance, but knocking out the leaders gives us a chance to try and take control of our own boogyman. We're never going to completely eliminate organized crime, and destroying the Mafia runs the risk of someone coming in to fill the vacuum that we can't control. Knock those old Italians down a peg or two and they'll do what we want just to keep a sliver of their old power. I don't care about the Old World and how tough a Sicilian thinks they are, we're from loving Texas. We can handle them.

# ? Feb 6, 2016 22:22

Mantis42: Jul 26, 2010

B
C - The Mafia deserves it and if we help RFK destroy what he believes to be the conspirators behind his brother's murder maybe we can bridge the gap between us. We could even reap the benefits of being seen as tough on crime.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 00:20

LiterallyTheWurst: Feb 5, 2015; Sendik's Original

Grouchio posted:

Would it be too far-fetched to play catch-up with Khrushchev, either he mentions that he's under heavy stress from Breznhev's faction first or we bring up JFK-Cuba (if that turns out to be true), we propose to keep silent about Cuba if we help him with his internal problems?

As I recall, Khrushchev felt a bit blindsided by his opponents. He was pretty surprised that it went down without any bloodshed, unlike Stalin's rise to power and Beria's removal. I'm not sure that the US had any notice, considering this is not the sort of thing you want to advertise widely.

# ? Feb 8, 2016 04:14

don Jaime: Apr 3, 2004

It's also worth remembering that Khrushchev was the hectoring bully who said, "We will bury you," and darn near started WW3 over Cuba. I can't imagine any American politician lifting a finger to help him even if they had known of the plot to oust Khrushchev in advance.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 06:22

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

Well then, when Brezhnev comes to power in the fall, how should we best deal with that special order of Zalupa Strogonov?

# ? Feb 11, 2016 06:43

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

don Jaime posted:

It's also worth remembering that Khrushchev was the hectoring bully who said, "We will bury you,"

That was mostly his interpreter�s fault. It wasn�t as strong in the original Russian.

Platystemon has issued a correction as of 14:24 on Feb 11, 2016

# ? Feb 11, 2016 07:45

Atrocious Joe: Sep 2, 2011

B - I'm not sure either of these choice will influence if the massacres still happen but I hope they won't.

C - Bobby will feel comfortable going after the mob again.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 07:50

AmyL: Aug 8, 2013; Black Thursday was a disaster, plain and simple.
We lost too many good people, too many planes.
We can't let that kind of tragedy happen again.

Platystemon posted:

That was mostly his interpreter�s fault. It wasn�t a strong in the original Russian.

Originally, Russia was never strong in the first place so it was perfect :shobon:

B No strong opinion on this one

Leaning toward C but for God's sake, let us not give the FBI any more power than they already have at the expense of the CIA. Hoover will still be around so if Bobby becomes zealous, things might backfire...

# ? Feb 11, 2016 14:04

QuoProQuid: Jan 12, 2012; Tr*ckin' and F*ckin' all the way to tha
T O P

I'll be interested in how the Kennedy Commission and Vietnam affects the 1964 nomination. We'll soon be coming up on the party's sporadic attempts to get Johnson to pick Bobby as his Vice President. I'm not sure if Bobby will support these efforts, as his supporters did originally, or whether his focus on the Mob will lead to Bobby bowing out early.

If Bobby is gone, we're left with Humphrey, Mansfield, and Sanders as the most prominent alternatives. Humphrey supports civil rights, is well-respected in the party, and balances the ticket. Unfortunately, he has a bad tendency to gossip with the press, which might be a bad idea if we want to avoid press leaks about our diplomatic offensive in Vietnam.

Mansfield, as has already been discussed, is one of the most powerful Doves in Congress and his nomination would let us stack our Cabinet against the Vietnam War. He's extremely reluctant to take the position, however, and his nomination will make it a lot harder to get the Civil Rights Act through Senate. Mansfield was a key figure in overcoming the South's stalling.

That leaves Sanders whose only real credential is that he's a popular moderate from the South and would secure the base there after the Mississippi debacle. He's probably better suited for Georgia where he can serve as one of our few Southern allies on desegregation and education.

QuoProQuid has issued a correction as of 15:00 on Feb 11, 2016

# ? Feb 11, 2016 14:56

vyelkin: Jan 2, 2011

QuoProQuid posted:

I'll be interested in how the Kennedy Commission and Vietnam affects the 1964 nomination. We'll soon be coming up on the party's sporadic attempts to get Johnson to pick Bobby as his Vice President. I'm not sure if Bobby will support these efforts, as his supporters did originally, or whether his focus on the Mob will lead to Bobby bowing out early.

If Bobby is gone, we're left with Humphrey, Mansfield, and Sanders as the most prominent alternatives. Humphrey supports civil rights, is well-respected in the party, and balances the ticket. Unfortunately, he has a bad tendency to gossip with the press, which might be a bad idea if we want to avoid press leaks about our diplomatic offensive in Vietnam.

Mansfield, as has already been discussed, is one of the most powerful Doves in Congress and his nomination would let us stack our Cabinet against the Vietnam War. He's extremely reluctant to take the position, however, and his nomination will make it a lot harder to get the Civil Rights Act through Senate. Mansfield was a key figure in overcoming the South's stalling.

That leaves Sanders whose only real credential is that he's a popular moderate from the South and would secure the base there after the Mississippi debacle. He's probably better suited for Georgia where he can serve as one of our few Southern allies on desegregation and education.

Pick Humphrey and then just don't tell him anything about Vietnam, problem solved.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 15:07

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

QuoProQuid posted:

Humphrey supports civil rights, is well-respected in the party, and balances the ticket. Unfortunately, he has a bad tendency to gossip with the press, which might be a bad idea if we want to avoid press leaks about our diplomatic offensive in Vietnam.

LBJ might have let Humphrey into his inner sanctum, but we don�t have to. After winning the election, he can celebrate by playing golf and going on junkets when he�s not breaking ties in the Senate.

# ? Feb 11, 2016 15:13

Sinestro: Oct 31, 2010; The perfect day needs the perfect set of wheels.

Platystemon posted:

LBJ might have let Humphrey into his inner sanctum, but we don�t have to. After winning the election, he can celebrate by playing golf and going on junkets when he�s not breaking ties in the Senate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUnHZAUR6hE

# ? Feb 11, 2016 23:39

Otherkinsey Scale: Jul 17, 2012; Just a little bit of sunshine!

Grouchio posted:

Well then, when Brezhnev comes to power in the fall, how should we best deal with that special order of Zalupa Strogonov?

Unleash Jumbo.

# ? Feb 12, 2016 02:38

rakovsky maybe: Nov 4, 2008

QuoProQuid posted:

I'll be interested in how the Kennedy Commission and Vietnam affects the 1964 nomination. We'll soon be coming up on the party's sporadic attempts to get Johnson to pick Bobby as his Vice President. I'm not sure if Bobby will support these efforts, as his supporters did originally, or whether his focus on the Mob will lead to Bobby bowing out early.

If Bobby is gone, we're left with Humphrey, Mansfield, and Sanders as the most prominent alternatives. Humphrey supports civil rights, is well-respected in the party, and balances the ticket. Unfortunately, he has a bad tendency to gossip with the press, which might be a bad idea if we want to avoid press leaks about our diplomatic offensive in Vietnam.

Mansfield, as has already been discussed, is one of the most powerful Doves in Congress and his nomination would let us stack our Cabinet against the Vietnam War. He's extremely reluctant to take the position, however, and his nomination will make it a lot harder to get the Civil Rights Act through Senate. Mansfield was a key figure in overcoming the South's stalling.

That leaves Sanders whose only real credential is that he's a popular moderate from the South and would secure the base there after the Mississippi debacle. He's probably better suited for Georgia where he can serve as one of our few Southern allies on desegregation and education.

Doris Kearns-Goodwin claims the choice was between RFK (who LBJ obviously despised and refused to nominate), Humphrey, Eugene McCarthy, and Thomas Dodd. I think Mansfield was, as you said, reluctant to take the position and was also very useful for LBJ to have as majority leader. The VP choice will probably have an option to make suggestions.

Also I edited the budget numbers to be correct.

Jumbo Status: Semi-flaccid (Update should be here today or tomorrow)

# ? Feb 12, 2016 07:46

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

rakovsky maybe posted:

Jumbo Status: Semi-flaccid (Update should be here today or tomorrow)

Liar.

# ? Feb 15, 2016 23:46

C. Everett Koop: Aug 18, 2008

rakovsky maybe posted:

Jumbo Status: Semi-flaccid (Update should be here today or tomorrow)

Jumbo's gone soft bud.

# ? Feb 17, 2016 03:05

Hot Dog Day 80: Jun 23, 2003

Just found this CYOA, pretty neat. Hope you keep updating.

# ? Feb 18, 2016 01:14

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

I don't think our dear Author's been here for over a week. If he's gone missing from the thread, could someone else take his stead?

# ? Feb 21, 2016 07:04

reignofevil: Nov 7, 2008

You are Jumbo B Johnson

# ? Feb 23, 2016 19:09

wukkar: Nov 27, 2009

The ?mob? has struck again!

# ? Feb 29, 2016 17:06

reignofevil: Nov 7, 2008

Alright LBJ guy the guy over in the Reagan thread admitted he got busy; what's got your goat?

# ? Mar 5, 2016 14:44

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

Considering that we cannot contact Ravkovsky ourselves, could we take over this CYOA ourselves?

# ? Apr 3, 2016 07:03

reignofevil: Nov 7, 2008

Well my first vote is that since the thread fell apart anyway we really should have nuked vietnam back when the idea was getting thrown about.

So I vote for that.

# ? Apr 3, 2016 13:25

Cockblocktopus: Apr 18, 2009; Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun.

You are Richard Nixon, former Vice President of the United States and failed presidential contender from the 1960 presidential election. Under the guise of attending a Pepsi Convention in Dallas, you have just successfully masterminded the assassination of that Catholic rat bastard, John F. Kennedy. How will you begin your comeback to the White House?

A: Only Nixon can go to China. While a centerpiece of your early political career was your participation on HUAC and you have been viewed as a staunch anti-communist throughout your time in the national spotlight, this has not led you to the White House. By embarking on a foreign tour of the Communist world, you can demonstrate your ability to grow as a statesman and possibly sow the seeds of discord between Beijing and Moscow, potentially de-escalating the growing instability in Indochina.

B: Cross Party Lines to Heal the Nation. While your commitment to the Republican Party is unwavering, the national trauma unleashed by the death of that Kennedy fink is sure to get middle America's sympathy for Johnson and doom the Republicans in 1964. By offering to help Johnson in any way possible, you can avoid the stink of being attached to the losing candidate in 1964 and demonstrate your willingness to put the needs of the country before the craven desires of your party.

C: They Don't Have Nixon to Kick Around Anymore. Go back to Yorba Linda. Lock yourself in your study. Crank up the air conditioning. Turn on the fireplace.

Cockblocktopus has issued a correction as of 04:43 on Apr 4, 2016

# ? Apr 4, 2016 04:41

Combed Thunderclap: Jan 4, 2011

FadingChord posted:

SCREW LBJ YOU ARE NOW RICHARD NIXON

B, time to be the perfect shoulder to cry on. You'll get in America's pants, one way or another. :getin:

# ? Apr 4, 2016 04:56

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

A, sabotage the Vietnam peace talks.

# ? Apr 4, 2016 04:59

HiHo ChiRho: Oct 23, 2010

Combed Thunderclap posted:

B, time to be the perfect shoulder to cry on. You'll get in America's pants, one way or another.

B but let's blame JFK's death on hippies.

# ? Apr 4, 2016 05:35

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

Weren't we, you know, RPing as LBJ and not tricky Dick?

# ? Apr 4, 2016 06:15

Otherkinsey Scale: Jul 17, 2012; Just a little bit of sunshine!

D: The Nuclear Option.

On where? Does it really matter?

# ? Apr 4, 2016 06:27

fronz: Apr 7, 2009; Lipstick Apathy

Nuke Vietnam

# ? Apr 4, 2016 10:02

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# ? May 4, 2024 09:00

Mantis42: Jul 26, 2010

A LBJ is popular now but he's stuck Jumbo in the Vietnam honeypot and we need to make sure it stays in there tight until 68. Make some backroom deals with Mao - he commits Chinese armed forces fully to the Indochina, turning it into a bleeding ulcer for the Johnson admin. When the American people turn on the Democrats and give us what's ours by right, send the signal to Beijing for the Red Chinese to begin a full withdrawal. In return, promise them Taiwan and a seat on the UN Security Council. When they come to collect, threaten to drop the bomb.

# ? Apr 4, 2016 15:27

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