Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Richard Milhous Nixon and with it comes a fresh flurry of Nixonia. (A brief sampler here, here, here and here and here) Among the more interesting current takes on our still deeply polarizing 37th President--
Over at Fox News, Douglas Schoen gives us Nixon the pro-big government, pro-public spending, and pro-social safety net liberal.
Nixon was not only a fervent supporter of the Clean Air Act, the first federal law designed to control air pollution on the national level; he also gave us the Environmental Protection Agency. The creation of the EPA represented an expansion of government that would face fierce opposition were it being debated today. The EPA is also one of the agencies on Capitol Hill that the business community most detests—along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which polices working conditions. OSHA is another Nixon creation.
In The Atlantic, John Aloysius Farrell offers us Nixon, the Tragic Everyman:
His rise and fall are, literally, operatic. His flaws repel as they fascinate. He inspired devoted loyalty and un-chambered hate -- at times, or over time, from the same individual. In his multi-faceted character we see flickers of the demagogue Willie Stark, the salesman Willy Loman, the raging Ahab, the wily Burr, the paranoid Captain Queeg.
The campaign pamphlet from the 1946 election had it right: Richard M. Nixon is One of Us.
U.S. News reminds us of Richard Nixon, Bowler in Chief:
Nixon was responsible for the creation of the bowling alley in the White House basement. According to Jonathan Roscoe of the Nixon Library, a box of his old bowling scores from Oct. 18, 1969, were recently discovered. That particular day, the president rolled six games against his friend and confidant Charles Gregory "Bebe" Rebozo while vacationing at Camp David, finishing with scores of 160, 177, 114, 134, 153, and 115. Naval Aide Adm. Charles R. Larson sent Nixon's secretary a memo with the bowling scores attached three days later.
But for many on the Left, Hunter S. Thompson's 1994 obituary of Nixon still holds true:
Nixon had the unique ability to make his enemies seem honorable, and we developed a keen sense of fraternity. Some of my best friends have hated Nixon all their lives. My mother hates Nixon, my son hates Nixon, I hate Nixon, and this hatred has brought us together.
Nixon laughed when I told him this. "Don't worry," he said, "I, too, am a family man, and we feel the same way about you."
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The irony is that the Overton window has moved so far to the right that Dems would happily vote for the 2016 version of Dick Nixon. And that is what neo conservatives like Hillary Clinton are counting on.
Let's not forget who Dick was.
When Native American militants staged a protest at Wounded Knee, Nixon said: "I think we ought to move tanks, the whole g*dd*mned thing. Put a division in there, if necessary, It's time for action on it. If some Indians get shot, that's too g*dd*mned bad. If some Americans get shot, that's too bad, too."
There are much better quotes from Hunter S. Thompson about how many on the true left feel about Nixon:
If that red baiting weasel was in the White House instead of Kennedy during the Missile crisis, several US cities would be gone, and best case, the theater tactical nukes that we didn't know about would have made 2 kiloton holes in our landing fleet and troops.
I don't know of many "neocons" who support Palestine like Hillary Clinton. I honestly don't know where you get that, but I'm all ears...
Warren is a good choice for 2016. Pelosi would be even better. I am not naming them as gender alternatives to Clinton. I honestly cannot think of two better leaders than those individuals. They are first rate, and I will ride into the hell of political battle at their sides. Proud to.
I feel quite the opposite about Clinton- she is not much more than Bush-lite. I know many are loyal to her and that is laudable, but let's take the blinders off about where she stands on policies. Surely we do not need someone to the right of Obama. Do you disagree she is way to the right of Obama?
I did not mean neocon in the sense of Wolfowitz or Doug Feith's brand of foreign policy or particular policy's made famous by their little tribe of neo conservatives, such as ironclad support of Israel's right wing parties (this is not synonymous with "support of Israel"). I meant the attempt to reconcile conservative and moderately progressive views. She does not believe in significant cuts to defense and has said as much. The reason is not as much cynical political ties to the military industrial complex- she honestly thinks we should be muscularly assertive with military power to promote our goals. She believes in laissez faire "free markets"- that liberals ought not shackle US industry with regulations. She believes the path to liberal programs is prosperity- and that because XL pipeline will deliver greater GDP growth for the US, that this trumps concern about climate change. Like her husband, she will willingly dismantle Roosevelt programs with the social theory that such safety net programs create a co-dependency problem between the needy and government.
I don't think she holds identical views to her husband, but there is a great deal of commonality. The same perspective that delivered elimination of Glass-Steagal will work to undermine the minimal protections in Dodd Frank.
It would be a fricking disaster.
John: It's been four years since Hillary has had to take a significant stance on a political issue, and it's likely safe to say that alot has changed since then, and we have another four to get through. Keystone is a no-brainer to you and I, but sadly the majority of Americans don't think past the last fill-up or oil spill. Medicare and Social Security are the foundations we all have to protect at all costs. But that to me does not mean Medicare the way it is right now, because that is not sustainable. Medicare needs to continue as a guaranteed benefit to the beneficiaries, not as a cash cow to medical suppliers of all sorts. Hillary Clinton is no Barbara Boxer (my Senator!), but she is outstanding in alot of aspects, and at least palatable in most IMHO.
But he didn't. What he did do is altogether different, as listed above, such as creating the EPA and negotiating with China, with Mao himself. What if Obama went to Afghanistan and negotiated with the Taliban? What if Eisenhower went to Korea and ended that war?
It's amazing that today's politics are so extreme rightist that Nixon is a leftist.
Oh for pete's sake.
Nixon was a political opportunist who didn't give a rats ass about the environment. The EPA was created by an act of Congress with a veto proof majority. He had no choice but to sign it and create the EPA.
Nixon was perfectly happy to get in front of the parade because it was pointless to do otherwise, and doing so curried favor with moderates. It was an utterly cynical move. If there was something industry didn't like, Nixon never supported the environmental side. For example, Nixon vetoed the Clean Water Act in 1972, and when Congress overrode his veto, he sought to impound the money spent on it. In response, Congress passed the Impoundment Act of 1974, which prohibited the President from withholding authorized funds from programs.
Nixon did not introduce or come up with the ideas that went into the National Environmental Policy Act, it came about because progressives took to the streets insisting on environmental protections. In response, democratsled by my state Senator, Henry "Scoop" Jackson initiated and shepherded NEPA through congress. Politicians understood from the polls and the widespread demonstrations how they had to vote. NEPA passed with near unanimous support.
Nixon had no choice but to sign it- It was already veto proof.
But technically, yeah, he created the EPA. He did because NEPA required him to. And yeah, you will hear a lot of environmentalists pointing to Nixon, because even though Dick didn't really give a damn, many republicans of the day did. It is not a bad thing to remind people of that bipartisanship, but it is quite a stretch to assert Nixon was some kind of environmentalist.
Which just goes to show how good Nixon was at conning Americans. He was so good, he can still do it from the grave.
Nixon was a political opportunist
Aren't they all? Calling a politician an opportunist is like calling a fish wet. And it works both way- Nixon's anti-communism was opportunistic, too. Give the devil his due.
In a wider history, the country did not turn right until Reagan. Nixon never demonized the poor (except in private) and did not cut taxes for the rich and did not create huge debt. Nixon's demons were private. The guy who really screwed things up was Reagan.
Your assertion is that there exists a class of individuals who by choosing to take political office necessarily define themselves as having little regard for principles, or with what the consequences are for others when then take advantage of circumstances.
On it's face, the proposition is ludicrous. People could decide to enter public office in order to do good, and do so adhering to their principles and empathetic consideration of the impact on others. So your proposition is indefensible.
Secondly, the particulars of this context is that you are drawing an equivalency between the political behavior of a man elected to the highest office who committed felonies while in office for the sake of minor political gain.
It's as preposterous as your suggestion that Nixon had an environmentalist bone in his body.
To loosely channel Thompson: Nixon was much more than the sum of his many squalid parts. He was an American monster- a Liar, a Quitter, and a Stooge for monied interests. Like a badger, he could emit the stench of death at will and at any time in order to confuse his attackers. This two bit crook and war criminal succeeded in putting down his dark stench on America's history books for eternity.
Nixon was scum, a bully, a predatory shyster who disgraced and degraded the Presidency of the United States.
Nixon was a one of a kind.
As for your theory that Reagan invented America's turn to the right, Nixon was not a saintly moderate from the leave it to beaver bigone days of civility prior to 1980. Dick made his early mark engaging in cheap red baiting of the McCarthy period when whackos wore white hoods or joined the John Birch society.
This is how we should remember this sum of a man.
People could decide to enter public office in order to do good, and do so adhering to their principles and empathetic consideration of the impact on others. But they don't. They are all scum. I advocate anarchy because government itself is crime. We need government today no more than the founders of this nation needed a king.
You can say the same about any politician. What politician is not a liar? You don't think Obama is a "stooge for monied interests"? Think again. What is Obama doing in Afghanistan? They are all war criminals, every one.
I never said that. I said Nixon founded the EPA (and OSHA), which is factual, is hated by today's Republicans, and is an example of how far right the country has turned.
Are you referring to Bill Clinton's felonious "obstruction of justice" investigations of his lust? Talk about a bullying predatory shyster who disgraced and degraded the Presidency of the United States.
They are all scum, every one.
As someone who was on his "enemies list" back in the day, I was very happy a few years ago to go down to the Nixon Library and piss on his grave. I'd have loved to see him dangling on a rope, "twisting slowly in the wind" as he put it.
Wow. A famous person in our midst. Good for you.
Regarding memorial services, is the location still open for public peeing?
Maybe I am famous too... In 1972 when I was twelve, I volunteered at the Re-Elect The President headquarters in Westwood Village in exchange for buttons and stickers for my collection. Same thing at McGovern headquarters a half a block away. In those long lost days California was actually important... The McGovern buttons were about a thousand percent better than tricky dicks...
Nixon's Campaign Manager: I give you the next president of Earth!
[Richard Nixon's head on a giant robot body breaks through the wall, steps on the campaign manager]
Richard Nixon's Head: Nixon's back!
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Futurama
Now with 100% more Nixon
I wish Futurama would devote a segment of an episode showing how they collected the heads of historical figures for the head museum. Nixon's head (and Kissinger's body) I could kind of buy, but they have the heads of Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson, if memory serves me.
Bush 2001-2009
The End of an Error
These same people forget how Shrub created the "Department of Homeland Security" talk about expanding government.....
FAUX NOOZ why are they a channel, have a license, pretend that they even have opinions to offer?!
I'm thankful that the EPA and OSHA were created; should I then be thankful that Nixon was President? I wasn't old enough to know the political climate when he was POTUS, so would these agencies have been created anyway, or are their existence due to his impetus? I defer to those members with more knowledge of the time in question to help with this conundrum.
Well, I was a child and I remember seeing commercials where a Native American was looking at a river "filled with trash" and there was a tear rolling down his cheek. I also remember that Los Angeles always looked like it was covered in fog (it was actually pollution) - and that's where EPA came from; I believe that OSHA came about due to terrible working conditions (along with 3 mile Island meltdown), but I'm not sure exactly what set off it's creation.
I can't say for sure if these agencies would have been created if Nixon wasn't in office. I remember VietNam veterans returning and there was a whole lot of outrage at them, at the government, women were starting to "burn their bras" - yeah it was a lot going on. But I do remember getting interested in politics because of 2 people - Nixon & Watergate and the late Sen. Barbara Jordan of Texas because she raked those people over the coals during the hearings and I'd never seen that before...Hope it helps.
People in those days were a lot more leftist than they are now.
WWII was fought against fascism, a right-wing philosophy. To justify the war the public was bamboozled with leftist propaganda. The United Nations is the current embodiment of that ideal- security through open debate, security through respect for all nations and all peoples, security through development, security through redistribution of wealth. Now it is the opposite- security through oppression, security through militarism, security through secrecy, security through wealth elitism, the exact system WWII was fought against.
In Nixon's day for example many serious people advocated the nationalization of military contractors. They had the WWII idea that war profiteering was immoral- FDR's 91% income tax bracket was aimed at war profiteers. Today war profiteering is considered "success" and demanding war profiteers pay taxes on war profits is immoral.
Only the existence of W has saved Nixon from the title of Worst. President. Ever. His only redeeming virtue is that he is dead...hopefully with a stake in his heart to prevent him from returning from the grave.
Uffada
Actually Nixon has been rated no.9 worst president by US News & World Report.
Tied with Herbert Hoover
http://www.usnews.com/news/slideshows/10-worst-presidents/3
Who was the worst president in history? George Washington with 68% of the vote linked above.
Covah
Would you be more specific about the link that rates George Washington as the worst president? I can't find it. Also every poll by historians I've seen list Washington among the top best 3 or 4 best presidents. James Buchanan usually is considered the worst president. BTW nice to see you around again.
The link in #8.1 "The 10 Worst Presidents" has a "vote" option, then you can view results. For this post I voted again, it seems you can vote over and over and someone has skewed the results.
Covah
Yeah someone definitely skewed the results. I didn't even see that option when I posted that link. I was more interested in factual information. This is why I don't hang my hat on polls to rate presidents or use Wikipedia very often. To many uninformed or uneducated people stick there fingers and pass on bad information or allow their personal peccadilloes to cloud their research.
The US News and World Report survey is done by professional historians who have spent practically their entire lives studying presidential history. I'd rather have the informed opinion of Doris Kerns Godwin that some schmuck who has a grievance with George Washington. Geez even the British thought George Washington was great! There is even a statue of him in Trafalgar Square with Nelson's statue!
Covah
Yeah someone definitely skewed the results. I didn't even see that option when I posted that link. I was more interested in factual information. This is why I don't hang my hat on polls to rate presidents or use Wikipedia very often. To many uninformed or uneducated people stick there fingers and pass on bad information or allow their personal peccadilloes to cloud their research.
The US News and World Report survey is done by professional historians who have spent practically their entire lives studying presidential history. I'd rather have the informed opinion of Doris Kerns Godwin that some schmuck who has a grievance with George Washington. Geez even the British thought George Washington was great! There is even a statue of him in Trafalgar Square with Nelson's statue!
Sorry for the double post
I think I'll go back and vote 500 times that Ronald Reagan was the worst president ever.
Covah
you have perverse mind. And that's what I like about you. :-)
Nixon might still be hated, but at least he had the best reelection campaign slogan ever: "Don't Change Dicks In The Middle of A Screw; Reelect Nixon in '72"
Ok, so it wasn't the official campaign slogan.
Amazing that the political zeitgeist has skewed so far to the right in the past 30 years that Nixon's few decent acts as president are now seen as ultra-left policy. It's true that the Nixon of 1972 would never be elected or even nominated by Republicans in this century.
Given that, I still proudly own a T-shirt that reads, "I don't care if he's dead, I still want to IMPEACH NIXON."
Make no mistake, he was evil. EEEEEEEEE-VIL! It's just that his successors have, in many cases, been even worse.
I was very annoyed that flags were flown half-mast when Nixon died. I thought the poles should have been made taller, somehow.