lady bird johnson said she felt like people were looking at the living but wishing for the dead. there was always that sense that he was no john kennedy, and indeed, he wasn t. if there s anything i did that someone didn t approve of they would always feel president kennedy wouldn t have done that. my conduct in the office being contrasted with president kennedy s conflict. with my accent and his accent, with my background and his background. hill style was 180 degrees from john kennedy. kennedy was polishes, harvard, lbj was hill country. cowboy hat, boots. washington at that time was disproportionately influenced by ivy league believes and lbj was not from the ivy league nor ever elite.