Dialing the time machine back to 1972, we find a previous presidential scandal. Though not directly involved, Richard Nixon was the focus of blame. A handful of operatives in Nixon's campaign and administration performed a "third-rate burglary" at the opposition's headquarters. Several of those involved avoided using their first names. Instead, they were G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, and L. Patrick Gray. Most curious in this affair was the lack of a serious motive. Nixon's re-election was a solid inevitability. Not all that long after the Watergate break-in hit the news, Nixon carried 49 states, and McGovern didn't even...