President Johnson definitely thought he was doing a good thing by introducing through his Great Society, the Civil Rights Bill and greater access to welfare. He was a great admirer of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and probably saw his "Great Society" as an extension of Roosevelt's "New Deal." He originally intended welfare to get the less-fortunate people to get back on their feet and independent. However, the quagmire which became the Vietnam War, eventually diminished the country's enthusiasm for the president.