Letter to the Editors

Letter to the Editors 539 Letter to the Editors Vaughn Davis Barnet (Emeritus Professor of History and Social Science at Southern Oregon State College) writes: I have just read, totally without enthusiasm, the review-essay by one James Oliver Robertson, "The Failure of Executive Power," in your issue for Winter 1985. From its superficial evaluations of the books to its unsupportable conclusion , it is, in myjudgment, a disaster. In his final paragraph, he decides that "the focus on executive leadership which became an important part of American democratic belief with the Progressive reformers early in the century, and has grown steadily into the contemporary fascination with the power and personality of political executives and presidents, is beginning to fade." If he will reexamine the careers of Progressive reformers early in the century, I think he will find that many were in the Congress and that they behaved as though it was the legislative branch that would save the day. President Herbert Hoover would have had far greater success during his term if that belief on the part of Progressive Republicans had not been so dominant and so effective in thwarting his programs. Robertson says the ''focus on leadership" is "beginning to fade." What, one may well ask, does this fuzzystatement mean? If anything has been central in this country since January 20, 1980,it would seem to be the executive image and reality of Ronald Reagan. If it is now shrinking, the trend must be starting tomorrow sometime. Still, in any president's final term some loss of prestige and authority can be expected, so perhaps his conclusion is based on no more than that relatively sure thing. Bypassing the Robertson viewson four of the books, Ishould like to comment very briefly, but acidly, on his sad performance in re Barnet, The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson in the Kansas presidency series. It isa cause for astonishment that he should find his alternative book selection (one limited to presidential appointments) "a much better assessment of Lyndon Johnson as President." I have pondered how he could possibly have reached such a weird rendering, bearing in mind that my book treats fully such areas as space, defense, foreign policy, media relations, environmental policies, the Great Society, presidential credibility and a host of other areas which necessitate an enormous index entry under "Johnson." Suddenly it all became clear. He uses the revealing expression ··random sampling" to describe his technique in handling my book. Translation: he didn't read it! Finally, I really must protest the extraction of individual sentences from here and there, with no indication whatsoever of their context, as a means of allegedly demonstrating my incompetence as a writer. (I see absolutely nothing wrong with any of his examples in any case .... ) My writing style has served me well through a career of many decades as editor, author, administrator and teacher. In connection with my latest book, it has been my observation 540 Letter to the Editors that reviewers who simply cannot stomach my spirit of fairness toward the architect of the Vietnam War quickly turn to nitpicks on "style" or something similar, never even mentioning the subject matter of a third of the book. Thank you for opening up your pages for these remarks. Out of more than thirty scholarly reviews, the one in your journal wins the cake as easily the most pitiful and least scholarly effort. (Ed. note: James Oliver Robertson has ~eclined to reply) Notes on Contributors ValClemens is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellow in the Department of English at the University of Manitoba. She has previously published an essay on biographical treatments of Zelda Fitzgerald inDalhousie Review. Her interests lie in the areas of myth criticism and of twentieth-century women's literature. Olive Patricia Dickason is Professor of History at the University of Alberta. She is the author of The Myth of the Savage and the Beginnings of French Colonialism in the Americas and of Indian Arts in Canada. Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones is Senior Lecturer in American Studies at the University of Edinburgh. The author of many essays and reviews, he is editor of Eagle Against Empire: American Opposition...