DBWI: What do you think of Richard Nixon?

(OOC: the POD is simple, Nixon's get's away with Watergate. The burglars were never discovered. It wasn't until after his death in 1994 that the people found about the Watergate Affair with the publishment of his memoirs. After Agnew resigned in 1973, Nixon managed to get John Connally to be his Running Mate. Connally then ran himself in 1976 and won. He was defeated in 1980 by Morris Udall who became a two termer.)

I work for a polling company and I am curious to know what the people on this board think of former president Nixon.

He did a good job. The economy was going strong, he normalized relations with China and started getting us out of Vietnam.

He ended the Vietnam War with honor right? He also was the first US President to visit Communist China. He can't be all that bad can he?

He could have done much better with the economy though. And sure, he got us out of Vietnam, but it took him way too long. Part of him was still mired in McCarthyism, 20 years after the fact.

But he was better than Connally. That guy was a disaster. Muskie should have won 76, no doubt.

(OOC: It's only Watergate that is of, right.)

He was a mess. Sure, some of the blame fall on the Democrats before him for getting involved in Vietnam and a whole range of structural faults in the economy. But he did enact price controls and that was a mess.

big_ben_mi said:

He ended the Vietnam War with honor right? He also was the first US President to visit Communist China. He can't be all that bad can he?

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He prolonged the war by four years. He accepted the same peace terms that North Vietnam offered in 1968. I even read that he had the 68 peace talks sabotaged so that he could win the election.

If I'd been alive then (and American) I would've voted for Humphrey & McGovern, no question.

Berra said:

(OOC: It's only Watergate that is of, right.)

He was a mess. Sure, some of the blame fall on the Democrats before him for getting involved in Vietnam and a whole range of structural faults in the economy. But he did enact price controls and that was a mess.

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But there is a lot of evidence that would indicate that the person that got us involved in Vietnam in the first place was Richard Nixon himself. This was in the later 1950s when he was vice-president. A Commie-baiter from way back, he made and worked with contacts in the CIA to go after Communism wherever it could be found and cause mischief. And he was the CIA's pointman in the Oval Office, giving slanted intelligence briefings to Eisenhower. That's why Ike sent the first "advisors" over to Vietnam and allowed to planning of the Bay of Pigs invasion in the first place. Jack Kennedy made the mistake of continuing Nixon's "police action" in Vietnam (although he cancelled the Cuban invasion). Lyndon Johnson used Vietnam as a personal money-maker for himself and his cronies and as such, wasn't about to shut off the tap.

thomwood said:

But he was better than Connally. That guy was a disaster. Muskie should have won 76, no doubt.

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But Connally had the Nixon "dirty-tricks" squad at his disposal; worked for Tricky Dick, worked for Connally, at least in 1976.

Nixon's a hard guy to catagorize. he was definitly a smart man, and he got things done. But I'm not so sure that he was good for the country.

Perhaps the problem lies in his personal style. From the first time he ran for congress, he made his reputation by being a hardliner and by smear attacks. The 1972 election, for instance was brutal. You cannot pin the negative spin that elections have on Nixon, but a large part of it originates with him (after all, Connaly built on Nixon's tactics, and we all know how that ended).

Who do you people like in this year's elections? Vice-President Kennedy seems to be the likely winner. President Udall has done a pretty good job, and Kennedy could probably take the white house simply on his legacy. Not to mention kemp's inability to solidify a hold on the conservative wing of the republican party. I know that they've been out of favor especially since '84, but he doesn't have much chance of winning the white house without them. Most of the polls seem to be showing the Kennedy-Hart ticket taking about 55% of the popular vote and trouncing Jack Kemp in the electoral college.

I am Nixon's son-in-law, I married his illigitamate daughter, who was hidden from the media well, I might add. I would have to say over all he was a nice guy, he knew how to run the country.

I did some of his accounting, He gave of his money away to friends in need. (ooc. Laundering) they were always thankful because of his generosity.

He also had a private retreat away from Camp David. it was in the Carribean. He always had guests over when he was there and when he wasn't allowed the local unfortunate to stay the night.

He bought a second island for himself, and gave me and my wife his first house.

Overall I say that Nixon is a GREAT guy.