Ellora Karmarkar, Noah Burbank, Kalani Leifer

Prompt:

  1. How does each section develop?
  2. How does the whole essay develop?

Consider what the argument is.

ARC

JFK:

Each start out on a civil rights/ racial note

JFK: Meredith integration into OLE MISS

LBJ: civil rights-voting rights act

Nixon: racial point on equal opportunity, closest racist, but principle was equal opportunity.

Each of them have calculus maneuvering experience

JFK deals with Barnett

LBJ: with Hoover

Nixon: with Watergate

Intensity in manipulation increases as the piece proceeds:

JFK: Barnett: tried to quietly coax him, to blackmailing him with tape

LBJ: clearly trying to subtly manipulate others, trying not to make people look stupid, very diplomatic manipulation, pushy sometimes

Slight manipulation with Hoover,

Nixon: Nixon-Kissinger manipulation, manipulation of others, stark difference between reality and how things appear; fabricates tapes in order to cover his trail

Starts with ideal beginning of the presidency, gradually shows a more human portrayal: across individual presidencies and across the entire piece.

‘president has integrity because he’s the president’- but the president is ultimately just a human.

Humanizes, contrast between public and private perception of civil rights-‘dirties’ the idealistic portions of these men. These are some of their most praise-worthy actions, and it kind of de-idealizes it when we find the more human reasons behind their decision.

Shows the extent of personal and political manipulation used by the presidency.

LBJ: Hook: Death of JFK,

Sultry conversation with Jackie O

  1. Personal: violates all laws of interpersonal behavior

(ex: pants, browbeating)

2. Civil Rights:

  1. Hoover Tug of War
  2. Dulles threat (30 year old friendship convo)
  3. MLK voting rights
  4. KKK infiltration
  1. VIETNAM

Hoover becomes a spy, for domestic unrest

Didn’t want to LOSE

Wanted good news

Appeals to advisors’ beliefs, even if he doesn’t feel as strongly as advisors

Throughout: LBJS’ political and personal manipulation intertwined. Tragic figure.

KENNEDY:

Ricky, Kat, Adam

  1. Hook archival tape, Barnet
  2. Exposition about James Meredith situation
  3. Analysis of Kennedy motivation (Branch)
  4. Conflict escalation, civil rights, ‘men in ties with gas masks’
  5. Battle of Wills of Barnet and JFK
  6. RFK informs Barnet that they have negotiations on tape, political leverage
  7. Everyone loses; JFK sends in troops, Barnet has no last stand
  8. Bookend: Meredith enrolled at Ole Miss.

Telephone tool of diplomacy. How Barnet and JFK are trying to work each other over the telephone.

LBJ: Cheri, Rebecca, Katherine

Transition/hook: death of JFK. Personal political calls to Jackie O

Relentless persuader LBJ/Russell—more complex political thinker/ manipulator than many

Personal: pants; in your face manipulation, raw, interpersonal behavior

Great Ambition: Civil Rights; maneuvers Hoover, MLK, Medicare; can read, predict situation to maneuver people

Destruction by Vietnam

Didn’t want to lose

Lost control to communism—can see defeat, but cant control situation.

Cooper, Iris, David

Nixon: hook: Nixon speaking about never speaking about Watergate

Img of Nixon-tragic figure

Difference between public and private figures

Rehnquist appointmen t

Water gate

Nature of Nixon tapes

Essay conclusion

Molly, Madalyn, Laura

“goddamn it” (Watergate)

Characterization as a bigot, hawk, curses

Nixon as a politician

Not secure, tragic figure, records everything

Recuperates his image because he’s not a bad guy, records to see if he does the right thing.

Big issue: Watergate

Butterfield exposes

Resignation of nixon

LBJ: taping not as important, role of telephone more important than the taping.

More characterization of LBJ

Role of telephone evolves” JFK: political leverage, LBJ vehicle of exercising power, Nixon: destruction, less diplomatic means, more for spying, more for deception. Telephone tapes have most dramatic effect: bring down a presidency.

Telephone gives us increasingly personal view of the president