Nixon and the Watergate
 

I have been learning about US executive accountability which helped me to finally get around to watching a documentary to find out, in detail, what Watergate actually was.

So. I have many many questions! :D

1. Does anybody here support or defend Nixon and what are the excuses that Nixon supporters use to defend the former President?
2. Are there many Nixon supporters in the USA?
3. Does Nixon have many fans or admirers who are politicians?
4. What do you think of the Nixon Presidency and do you think that Watergate is the worst thing that he was involved with?
5. Did you vote for Nixon? How did Nixon appear differently to you when he was running for his first term compared to when he was running for his second term?
6. How long did it take for you to support his impeachment, if you supported it at all?

Thanks! :cool:

What I remember about Watergate is this; Most Republicans would smirk and say, "Eh, so what, they all do it." But, let a Democrat get caught rigging elections and watch what they say.......

Really, man, I'm too young. I was only ten when he resigned. And you rarely hear about Watergate anymore.

Someone with better information will be along soon.

Dave

All I remember is "I am not a crook" but then I was not in the country.

Ah, right. I wasnt quite sure when he was the President. Dates dont stick with me very well :p

Where were you?

In Canada.

I was only 7 when he was impeached but i'll answer em to the best of ability.

1. Does anybody here support or defend Nixon and what are the excuses that Nixon supporters use to defend the former President?

From what I remember, nah, he was a nut job.

2. Are there many Nixon supporters in the USA?

None that I know of.

3. Does Nixon have many fans or admirers who are politicians?

I would think it would be career suicide for other politicians to have aligned themselves with him.

4. What do you think of the Nixon Presidency and do you think that Watergate is the worst thing that he was involved with?

I am sure he did some pretty nasty stuff but what president has not ?
Not defending him by any means, only pointing out the obvious.

5. Did you vote for Nixon? How did Nixon appear differently to you when he was running for his first term compared to when he was running for his second term?


6. How long did it take for you to support his impeachment, if you supported it at all?

As soon as I was old enough to understand what he did, I supported his impeachment.

I was not old enough to vote until Nixon's successor, Jerry Ford, was up for election. I was raised in a Union household, so Nixon was unpopular from the get go. Part of the irony is that he did not need dirty tricks. America was not yet ready for George McGovern, and Nixon would have won easily.

Another sad irony is that Nixon would almost be considered liberal in today's environment. He did institute a price freeze to combat inflation. Also, giving the man credit where credit is due, he opened diplomatic relations with China. Some historians have said that he was in a unique position to be able to accomplish that task. A Democrat who would have tried to do so at that time would have been labeled as soft on communism. Nixon, however had "solid" anti-communist credentials, having worked on the McCarthy witch hunts. Accordingly, he was able to convince a broader spectrum of the body politic that it was in America's interest to open that line of communication. Nowadays, we have to wonder if it was the foreshadowing of disaster for our economy.

One of my favorite bits of political humor came out of the Watergate affair. Ford was appointed Vice-President after Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace. Ford then assumed the presidency after Nixon resigned. When Nixon was running against McGovern, his campaign was run by CREEP (the committee to re-elect the president). People came out with buttons for Ford - CRAP (the committee to re-appoint the president). I know, a lot of work for that punch line, but I always liked it anyway.

Regards,

D-Ray

Not to mention, he signed the legislation that created OSHA and the EPA.

It was during my early college years that he was running for reelection. The classic anti-Nixon slogan and poster on campus was "Don't change Dicks in the middle of a screw. Vote Nixon again in '72."

cute, I don't recall that

1. No
2. No
3. Not many
4. Nixon was a political animal, a populist wannabe, and a pragmatist. None of the above are endearing qualities in my book.
5. Too young at the time to vote
6. About 1 New York minute.