This Day in History

[dlgood]

Some folks will note that NFL PreSeason begins tonight (Go Skins!) and that former President Clinton will be appearing on the Daily Show.

But, it's also a 30th Anniversary.

On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency.

Some of you may know that I once worked for The Nixon Center. My opinions on his presidency and political legacy are decidedly mixed. I'll always be ambivalent about having the Nixon name on my resume. He was dead several years before I took that job, and my work was not directly connected to pushing his legacy - but rather certain aspects of methodology in international affairs that certainly predated his administration. But still...

There's work as a leader that merits respect - Nixon's support of environmental protection legislation (even as he hated the environmentalists) is once such example. And there is a part of me that will admire how a man who came from almost nothing could work his way to the top of government... But, when I think of Nixon, the first things I'll associate is "Abuse of Power", and a resignation to escape an impending conviction that was justly merited.

Comments

[ludditerobot.livejournal.com]

I think you have an anchor problem, and the Nixon Center seems to have nixoncenter.org, not thenixoncenter.org. Petty gripes, of course.

I think you're right; the name Nixon will always be synonymous with something, and that will not be the creation of the EPA, and that was a legacy he earned.

I don't understand what he expected to get with that, assuming he knew beforehand. If I recall, the phone most likely to receive important election-related calls was on the other side of the office from the phone actually tapped. I've heard conspiracy theories that I decline to grant credibility to, and I understand the urge to stonewall and all the rest of it, but the actual break-in still leaves me confused.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

When I worked there, updating the webpage was one of my duties. Even though the address has changed, I still sometimes put a "thenixoncenter" in. old habits...

As to the bugging, I'm not entirely certain if he knew of the exact details beforehand, though he certainly was aware of the general pattern of activities. For the most part, I can't discount the basic fact of RMN as vengeful and paranoid - and willing to condone/encourage the various scoundrels in his employ. Tends to explain much of it to me.

[ludditerobot.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you're right about his involvement, but it was a point I wasn't wanting to argue. Some of it I can see. The break-in of Daniel Ellsberg's doctor's office, for example, clearly was meant to find information they could use to damage Ellsberg's crediblity. People do things because they want things. The bugging happened for a reason, and I've never heard a convincing one. This is not anything that's necessary for me to develop an opinion on the man and his administration; that's already done. It's just something that would really wrap it up for me.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency.

I totally remember that. I was ten, I think. My family was up at church camp, and the lady in the registration office had a TV, so we huddled around it and watched.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

My favorite conspiracy involves John Dean and hookers, and I've heard some stuff pertaining to Larry O'Brien, but nothing substantial that makes nearly as much sense as the other break-ins.

[jheaton.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of excited about the NFL preseason, because that means a new season of Tuesday Morning Quarterback (http://www.nfl.com/writers/easterbrook) is just around the corner. Woo!

I was six when Nixon resigned. It was a big deal in my house, as I happened to live with two of the only Democrats in all of DuPage County, Illinois.

[ludditerobot.livejournal.com]

The Dean theory makes the most sense to me, too.