Lyndon Johnson Quotes in The Right Stuff (1983)

Chief Scientist: I agree with those who say we could launch a pod.

Lyndon Johnson: A pot?

Chief Scientist: A POD - a, uh, capsule. Now, we would be in full control of zis pod. It vill go up like a cannonball, and come down like, uh, a cannonball, splashing down into ze water, the ocean, vith a parachute to spare the life of the specimen inside.

Lyndon Johnson: Spaceman?

Chief Scientist: SPE-CI-MEN.

Lyndon Johnson: Well, what kind of spe-ci-men?

Chief Scientist: A tough one. Responsive to orders. I had in mind a jimp.

Lyndon Johnson: JIMP? Well what the HELL is a jimp?

Chief Scientist: A jimp. A-a-a jimpanzee, Senator. An ape.

Lyndon Johnson: And as I was sayin', whoever controls the high ground of space controls the world. The Roman Empire controlled the world because it could build roads. Later, the British Empire was dominant because they had ships. In the Air Stage, we were powerful because we had the airplane. And now the Communists have established a foothold in outer space. Pretty soon they'll have damned space platforms so they can drop nuclear bombs on us, like rocks from a highway overpass. Now HOW IN THE HELL did they ever get ahead of us?

Lyndon Johnson: Gladiolas! Isn't there anybody who can deal with a housewife?