There are two issues that I believe are loser issues for Democrats and they are negroes and the space program. Democrats have been beaten over the head by those issues to many times and it is time that we drop those issues and focus on important things such as communism and poverty. Just Bobby Kennedy speaking out against South African Apartheid seemed to send Johnson's approval rating down a couple points in both the gallup and Rasmussen tracking polls. We dont need another issue like this in the forefront that could knock Johnson off message.
I know many people on here are supportive of making headway on these issues, but it is a surefire way for Democrats to lose power. There are millions and millions of Americans who vote simply on the negro issue and their voter turnout is very, very high if they are fired up(They reelected Eisenhower in 1958). This is not an issue that Johnson should be wasting his capital on. We have inflation and high interest rates and the last thing Johnson needs to do is spend capital on these wedge issues that he would be better served to use on enacting Medicaid and Medicare.
When John F. Kennedy got entangled in the negroes in white universities issue, his approval rating fell from 58% to 37% and he never recovered until after there was catastrophic damage was done to Democrats. Johnson and Democrats have been winning elections because they have been sticking to economic issues. If he gets involved with these wedge social issues, Democrats are going to lose many blue collar workers that have come back to the party because of economic issues. I hope Johnson and Democrats take this advise seriously.