From late 1963 to early 1965 , Logevall claims , the Johnson administration faced a deliberate choice about whether it should raise or lower the stakes in Make it an all-out test of will , which it became , or look for an excuse to leave--perhaps with the claim that the regime in the South had become too ill-behaved to be worth further U.S. support or lives .
The administration at the time had to pick whether to up or lower the stakes .