The key difference is that Nixon didn’t have the major news outlets covering for him.
No, the key difference is Nixon had an opposition party interested in substantively engaging him directly. All we get from the GOP is a tip toe through the tulips. They steadfastly refuse to engage Obama directly for the crimes of his admin.
True, but if the arbiters of popular opinion, the mainstream media, were going after Obama, then trust me, the GOP would scrounge up some courage. Conversely, if they hadn’t had the support of the same media, I doubt the Dems, even back then, would have been so bold in challenging him.