Remembering Richard Nixon

I think that he did the right thing in resigning. I dont feel hate for him. I actually hold him in higher esteen than some others because he was able to look inward and see what it would do to his family and this country if things were allowed to progress. It appeared at that time, things were already bad enough.

 

I never thought I would desire to see tricky Dick back in the White House, but it would be a vast improvement over this bumbling idiot we have now!

 

Nixon was one of the most intelligent and able men we've had as president. He was also a mean, vindictive, crooked, paranoid person. But when he applied his God-given talents in a constructive way, he did very well.

His foreign policy was brilliant and effective.

Bush has most of Nixon's flaws, and none of his virtues.

 

One of his greatest accomplishments was beating McGovern for President.

Knowing what I know today about Nixon, I would still vote for him if his opponent was McGovern.

 

Perhaps, but knowing what I know today, I would still support him being forced to resign the Presidency.

 

I think what you were seeing (OP) is a man in self-destructive mode. It should not surprise any of us who do Christian theology that sin involving self-deception and sheer hatred will turn in on itself.

 

Perhaps, but knowing what I know today, I would still support him being forced to resign the Presidency. </font>[/QUOTE]

 

Nixon comes across as a deeply flawed, tragic figure - definitely a complex character.

 

Nixon has a worse reputation that he deserves. Yes, he messed up- no getting around that. But, he messed up by covering up for his friends. Had he let Halternam, Liddy, and the rest burn... he would have gotten away with it all. But, be trying so hard to cover up for them, and having an FBI agent breaking the law to reveal someone else breaking the law (how is that for moral relativism?) he went down... HARD. But, he was a foreign policy genuis and accomplished some great things that don't get the recognition that they should.

 

I don't think he was covering up for his friends, but for himself.

 

As an outsider, I think Billy Graham, demonstrated the correct attitude toward Mr. Nixon. He respected the man and saw beyond his failings. He reached toward his soul and prayed with him.

How quick we are to condemn those who hold such an high office, not having a clue what pressures are wrought upon them from all circles, that even the most modest and brilliant of men are crumbled.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I also think that Richard Nixon had the ability to be one of our great presidents, I think he was a brilliant man. Too bad he allowed political fears to destroy him and his legacy.

 

Ben Stein , who was a speech write for him said it best
"Nixon was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering-up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war-starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton—a lying, conniving peacemaker."

 

Nor was he a lying, war-starting dimwit that is leading America into fast becoming a third-world country!

 

I used to love seeing the bumper-stickers every election year:

He Tan, Rested and Fit
NIXON For President

Tom

 

At least Tricky Dick knew how to pronounce "nuclear"!

 

Nixon reminds me a lot of Clinton in certain ways.

Both could have gone down in history as very successful presidents, but they were both deeply flawed as individuals and destroyed their legacies because of it.

 

Oh, this is too good a thread to let it pass.

Nixon was really liberal for a Republican. He imposed price controls which were supposed to freeze prices but my neighborhood stores in Chicago cheerfully raised prices anyway. Nixon also spent a lot of money for social programs. He is the one who tied Social Security increases to the cost of living index. Before he conned Congress out of that plum, Congress used to vote every year on the amount of the Social Security increase.

Nixon was a big spender.

George W. Bush is also a big spender.

George W. Bush is much more like the Nixon wing of the party than he is like the Reagan wing of the party.

Nixon was a Quaker.

Nixon lied.

The worse thing that Nixon did was throw in the towel on Viet Nam short of victory. He should have gone ahead and fought the war to victory. The withdrawal from Viet Nam led to a bloodbath in the South at the hands of the communists.

 

Graham was not able to resist Nixon, who seduced him into doing something very unlike Billy Graham... from the Watergate tapes:

But this conversation with Billy Graham is something else again. Here is the most admired and influential religious leader in America complaining to the president of the United States about the Jews and their "stranglehold" on the media, and blaming them for "all the pornography."

Even when Nixon replies that he agrees but "can't say that" in public, Graham presses the point: Yes, right, but if you get elected to a second term, then we could do something about the problem.

Graham adds that while many Jews are friendly to him, "they don't know how I really feel about what they are doing to this country."

Graham said later that he doesn't remember saying it, and denied feeling that way about Jews.

But in the presence of Nixon, he said it. Volunteered it.

There was something unhealthy and dark about Nixon. Something that will never be equalled by the undoubted good things he did for America.