Posted on 06/26/2008 9:32:41 PM PDT by gusopol3
The near simultaneous publication of historian Sean Wilentz book “Age of Reagan” and the publication of activist / reporter Rick Pearlstein’s “Nixonland”, previously praised on these pages, has caused a dust-up over who most personified and ultimately transformed the modern conservative age which played out on the New Republic website.
Although I am neither historian nor an unbiased reporter, I was a participant in the Nixon realignment which ultimately begat the Reagan revolution. .....
The change in Richard Nixon comes with Goldwater’s sweeping nomination and what Nixon then understands can be salvaged, even nurtured,in the ashes of Barry’s defeat. “You can’t win without the right, and you can’t win with just the right,” Nixon told me over a martini in his Saddle River, New Jersey home.....
Reagan was a staunch defender and bitter ender when Nixon got embroiled in the Watergate scandal and was forced to resign.
In the White House years, President Reagan was in constant touch with President Nixon almost always having Nancy Reagan on the bedroom extension so they all could talk and she could listen to the conversations.
(Excerpt) Read more at stonezone.com ...
Reagan was great. Nixon was a travesty to this country. Completely different situations.
I see that you have bought into the liberal propaganda. Nixon was guilty of excessive loyalty to his staff.
coming after embarassment JFK and criminal LBJ and before execrable Carter, a travesty is high ground.
And instituting price and wage controls. Seriously not cool.
Nixon begat Reagan... BULL! The money men behind Nixon got burned once in 1962. Many of us placed our trust in Nixon in 1968 and in the end, we got burned. If Nixon hadn't gotten himself fingered as a player in the Watergate Affair, good chance Reagan would have been elected POTUS in 1976. Only then, could Nixon receive some credit for Reagan's election. Btw, Nixon was no conservative, but he was a crook. And Reagan's successes had nothing to do with Nixon.
Nixon thought that the socialist democrats were a bigger threat to us than our foreign enemies.
And he was right, but the socialist/liberals/MSM got him before he could get them.
Nixon did some great things and laid the groundwork for future conservatives but it has all been erased by the medias constant drumbeat of watergate.
If Nixon hadn’t resigned, there would have been zero chance of a President Reagan. The GOP nominee in ‘76 would have been Nixon’s successor - perhaps John Connally or someone. And they probably would have won.
No he was not. His biggest mistake was taking the advice of his lawyer-the man behind the Watergate breakin- John Dean. John Dean was actually advising Nixon while in contact with investigating committees, and the advice he was giving was what got Nixon in trouble.
Watergate or no Watergate, Reagan was planning on running for the GOP nomination in 1976. He had made a stab at the GOP nomination in 1968 in an effort to stop Nixon. By default, Jimmah Carter turned out to be the anti-Nixon/anti-Watergate/anti-Vietnam War candidate. Had Nixon survived Watergate, the GOP would've been in decent shape for a serious effort by Reagan to become the nominee. Maybe with Connerly as his running mate.
NIXON WAS GUILTY OF EXCESSIVE LOYALTY TO HIS STAFF.
You are right, that’s was his downfall. I saw it happen to a Chief of Police once. Thanks for posting that.
The liberal establishment was out to get Nixon since he first ran for the House in 1946. Nixon supplied his enemies with the ammunition that lead to his resignation. I lived through Watergate and watched the Senate Congressional hearings. They were very popular in 1973. Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover up lead to his downfall. I supported Nixon in 1968 as a member of the Young Republicans club and found his behavior highly questionable. Nixon was a crook.
Nixon wouldn’t even make the list of the 10 worst presidents of the 20th Century.
1. Carter
2. LBJ
3. Wilson
4. Kennedy
5. Wilson
6. Roosevelt (F)
7. Ford
8. Clinton
9. Hoover
10. Bush
“Nixon wouldn’t even make the list of the 10 worst presidents of the 20th Century.”
I like your list. Is it your composition, or do you have a link to background on the selection process behind the list?
Thaks.
OldB, you are so right about Nixon, ‘Nixon thought that the socialist democrats were a bigger threat to us than our foreign enemies. And he was right...the Communist/Left never forgave Nixon just like they hated Tailgunner Joe and possibly also Robert Kennedy who I seem to remember, had a strong anti-Communist stance. One day History will reveal that most of the problems we have in this country have originated from the domestic Left with hand in glove support by our worst external enemies...IMO we have reached a point where we now face a distinct possibility of a Government that has become the enemy of America, Progressive Fascism or Tyranny.
Truman should be on that list.
Nixon was the first competent president in decades and he assumed the presidency in the middle of a full-up Vietnam War, the Middle East crises - which begat the Oil Embargo, and the stunningly expensive Apollo space program. Despite this tough ground, he reenergized the country and for a while at least, wrested control back away from the Left and gave us some pride in our country.
His approaches to the Soviet Union and China were masterful and began the process that ended the nuclear brinksmanship that every other administration kept increasing and gave Reagan the opening he needed to finally finish off Soviet Communism.
The picture this generation gets of Nixon is furnished by the same pro-communist twits that thought the Viet Cong were "freedom fighters".
Nixon was great man and a fine president and the real tragedy was that JFK was elected instead of Nixon in 1960 - the Vietnam War would most likely never occurred and we would have seen the fall of Communism - and saved hundreds of thousands of lives - much earlier.
You must not have lived through that period to be buying the Left’s propaganda on Nixon..
I was born May 1969 so I know very little except for the impeachment.
Needless to say, the histories written by the people that succeeded in overthrowing Nixon will be somewhat biased. It took several attempts at "scandals" (the "secret bombing of Cambodia", the Milk Fund Scandal", etc.) before the Left finally got traction through their instrument, the media, to overthrow Nixon.
Consider this: The North Vietnamese violated the Peace Accords and went for a direct armor-supported invasion to overthrow the South Vietnamese in the Easter Offensive 1973. Nixon stood solidly in their path and ordered B-52s and carrier bombers to attack the NVA columns to stop the assault. He also supported Israel directly and warned Brezhnev off during Sadat's attack on Israel in 1973.
The enemy knew that they had to get rid of Nixon to win - so the American Left pulled out the stops to come up with any reason possible to eliminate him.
They were successful, and Vietnam fell while our country was led by a treasonous Democratic Congress and the hapless Jerry Ford.
Quod Erat Disputatem
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