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Essay Subject: Examines ex-president's slow return to public life from 1974 to death in 1994 & post-death critiques.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines ex-president's slow return to public life from 1974 to death in 1994 & post-death critiques. Paper Introduction:  Richard Milhous Nixon, 1913-1994. Thirty-seventh President of the United States, and the first to resign the office--some say in utter disgrace; Nixon himself, in one of his interview sessions with David Frost in 1977, stated, "I have impeached myself. That speaks for itself" (Anson, 1984, p. 167). From "dirty tricks" to detente, "Checkers" to China, Alger Hiss to Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Milhous Nixon was at once a master of geopolitics, and at the same time a terribly insecure man. He yearned his whole life for a place in history beside the great men: Churchill, de Gaulle, Alexander the Great, Chou En-lai and Mao Tse Tung, MacArthur, Konrad Adenauer, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and others. What history will do with Richard Milhous Nixon remains to be fully revealed. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. At noon on August 9, 1974, "at analtitude of 39, feet over a point 13 miles southwest of Jefferson,Missouri," aboard what had been "Air Force One," and was now "SAM 27 "(Anson, 1984, p. But Ford narrowly won the primary, paving the way for Nixon toprovide a written "debriefing" for the Administration. Over the course of a dozen years, public sentiment toward Nixon waschanging, slowly but positively. 597). (1986), "Nixon decidedthat the key to restructuring the comeback would have to be hisacknowledged knack for geopolitics." Nixon was highly regarded by some as"'the most knowledgeable and qualified' president of the postwar era inforeign affairs." According to the Newsweek authors, "That image has beencarefully nurtured, first in Nixon's memoirs, then in four more foreignpolicy books ("The Real War," "Leaders," "Real Peace," and "No MoreVietnams")" (p. . Ambrose (1991) appears toplagiarize Anson's account of the occasion, reiterating his text, verbatimin large measure, without citation! (1994, May 2). And after stating that resigning the Presidency priorto the completion of his second term "is abhorrent to every instinct in mybody," Nixon told the nation, "I shall resign the Presidency effective atnoon tomorrow" (Ambrose, 1991, p. 32.Martz, L., et al. On November 3 , he appeared before the Oxford Union. 581). feel a sense of loss with the departure of so large a figure in post- 1945 American politics. Historian Stephen Ambrose, whose three volume work, Nixon, chroniclesNixon's life from 1913 to 1962, from 1962 to 1972, and from 1973 to 199 ,perhaps comes closest to providing a balanced examination of Nixon, but thenegativity toward him surfaces frequently. He was regularly making the papers: "The reporters were thereto do their interviews; Nixon was ready to give them some front-page copy"(Ambrose, 1991, p. Nixon: Ruin and Recovery 1973-199 . 591-592). Mea culpa. . Newsweek, pp. But in order to gain the respectthat "he desperately wanted" from millions of Americans, according toAmbrose, "all he had to do was say eight words, in three sentences . beating," and his control over his presidentialpapers and tapes was evidently lost as well. I played by the rules of politics as I found them. But win or lose, I feel fortunate to have come to that time in life when I can finally enjoy what my Quaker grandmother would have called "peace at the center" (pp. MaryMcGrory (1994), one of a select few journalists who, it was revealed, hadmade Nixon's "enemies list," wrote that, "When I heard last Friday that(Nixon) was dead, I felt an unexpected pang, the feeling of a sudden void.I had expected him, combative as he was, to give Death more of a scrap.The Niagara of praise that thundered forth surprised me somewhat" (p. I encountered Nixon on severaloccasions after his resignation, and I became convinced that he was growingin both wisdom and decency. Alas, the evil that Nixon did lives after him (p. The program opened with a documentary of Nixon's career, and was followed by three hours of call-in questions, "ninety percent of [which] were friendly" (Ambrose, 1991, p. . 41). On the night of August 8, 1974, Nixon addressed the nation from theOval Office. (1994, May 2). It was in essence a campaign to rehabilitate himself, to restore his god name, and to minimize Watergate, and he waged it with singular skill, knowing all the while that the people he depended on for its success were the very people he considered to be his sworn enemies--the men and women of the media (p. Beyond a prayer and final farewell, we owe him not muchmore" (p. EXILE: The Unquiet Oblivion of Richard M. 32).Hunter Thompson (1994) was particularly uncomplimentary: "He was a swineand a jabbering dupe of a president. . He continued: What happened in Watergate--the facts, not the myths--was wrong. His strategy has been to talk and write about the higher things, refusing always to discuss Watergate, and thus to make the country forget his criminality (Ambrose, 1991, p. David Halberstam (1994) depicts the final two decades of Nixon'slife, from his departure from the White House to his funeral: The success of his final campaign . It got massive, unbelievable deficits. He was, I believe, a better, less contrivedman the day he died than was the man I challenged in 1972" (p. C1.Morganthau, T. Richard Nixon's last campaign. It got the savings and loans scandals. Why all the consternation? Generation Nix. .There is nothing, absolutely nothing he will not do in order to salvage forhimself whatever scrap of significance he can find in the shambles of hislife"; Joseph Kraft termed the trip "a sleazy act"; and Mary McGrorybelieved that "any other man might have delayed the many-squalored thing"(Ambrose, 1991, p. At the time the nation was recalling the tenth anniversary of Nixon'sresignation in 1984, liberal columnist Anthony Lewis would recount thatNixon: has spent these 1 years feverishly working to rehabilitate himself, using what he always thought mattered more than substance: the P.R. 35-39.Lexington. In retrospect, while I was not involved in the decision to conduct the break-in, I should have set a higher standard for the conduct of the people who participate in my campaign and administration. But from where did this rehabilitation/resurrection emanate? 26). But Nixon may be one of the most resilient personalities history willever know. Anson (1984) maintains that Gerald Ford and Henry Kissingerhad warmed up to Nixon before Carter "paid his respects, forced a smile fora photograph then retreated" (p. It was wrong. In his 199 book, In the Arena, Nixon came as close to this point ashe ever would publicly: "In retrospect, I would say that Watergate was onepart wrongdoing, one part blundering, and one part political vendetta"(Nixon, 199 , p. 516-517).Yet, Ambrose views RN as "a classic example of Nixon at work, setting outto make everything perfectly clear, leaving everything opaque" (p. Is it any wonder, then, thatwe Nixon babies grew up apathetic and conflicted about authority?" (p. When asked about his future plans, Nixon replied: So long as I have a breath in my body, I am going to talk about the great issues that affect the world. (Pausing, and his voice breaking slightly, he continued) My political life is over. Newsweek was able to report that itslatest Gallup poll showed that while seventy-five percent of therespondents "still say his actions warranted his resignation, more thanhalf--54 percent-- now think Ford was right to pardon him. Let me just make one thing clear. At the Shreveport, Louisiana airport in November1978, he announced to the crowd of about 5 , "Officially, you can say,'I'm out'" (Ambrose, 1991, p. But the real turningpoint may have occurred a few months earlier when Nixon attended thefuneral of Hubert Humphrey. You don't even have to know who Richard Nixon was to be a victim of hisugly, Nazi spirit" (p. C2). . Decade after decade, he kept coming back. 45; 119.McGrory, M. He dominated theworld stage for more than two generations, and his influence will last muchlonger as his thoughtful and brilliant books are read throughout the world"(p. As early as 1975, according to Martz, et al. 42). (See: Anson, 1991, p. Eulogy from an 'enemy.' Washington Post, p. The road back. He was a crook. A19). Newsweek, pp. . (not including thebroadcasts of his videotaped and edited interviews with David Frost in May1977) in the aftermath of the resignation was at the dedication of theRichard M. Because the Secret Service had decided the eventwas too insecure for President Reagan to attend, former presidents Nixon,Ford, and Carter led the American contingent. route. I'm not just going to fade away . Washington Post, p. 26-32.McGovern, G. 476). . His body should have beenburned in a trash bin" (p. Even his funeralwas illegal. 19), Nixon began what would come to be described as a"self-imposed exile at San Clemente (California)" (Morganthau, 1994, p.29). To his dying day, hewould never say them. 49 ). Nixon Recreation Center in Hyden, Kentucky, on July 2, 1978,where he was greeted by a large, receptive crowd. In fairness to Ambrose, thenature of the resource material available, in part, dictates what theoutcome, to a great extent, must be. 521). The first public speech Nixon made in the U.S. (1994, April 23). 26). Nixon remarked in April 1986,"People see me and they think, 'He's risen from the dead'" (Martz, et al.,1986, p. 596). What history will do with Richard Milhous Nixon remains to befully revealed. Observing that the media may have "afforded Nixon an excess ofposthumous respect, Bruning (1994) was certainly less dramatic thanThompson. David Broder, who had promised to never writeabout Nixon again, wrote of "the utter shamelessness of the man. 554). 28). "Exile" was accompanied by deep depression. 33). (1994, May 23). Those who, bychance, happen to read his books may find a different image. ReferencesAlter, J. (W)hat the country got was not the Nixon Revolution but the Reagan Revolution. 31.Ambrose, S. George McGovern (1994) remarked, "I mademy peace with Nixon long ago. Thirty-seventh President of theUnited States, and the first to resign the office--some say in utterdisgrace; Nixon himself, in one of his interview sessions with David Frostin 1977, stated, "I have impeached myself. 26). Everybody was afraid of him," HowardBaker had said, indicating that "the hush lasted until President JimmyCarter walked over, shook Nixon's hand and welcomed him" (Martz, et al.,1986, p. Commentary: Richard Nixon--1913-1994. Economist, p. 42- 43; 119.Von Drehle, D. . Although Ambrose (1991), like most other historians and journalists,describes RN as "a readable if unreliable book" (p. 554). Another major milestone in that comeback was Nixon's inclusion in theofficial delegation to the state funeral for Anwar Sadat following hisassassination in 1981. He yearned hiswhole life for a place in history beside the great men: Churchill, deGaulle, Alexander the Great, Chou En-lai and Mao Tse Tung, MacArthur,Konrad Adenauer, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, andothers. . . It got millions of homeless, and gross favoritism for the rich. The real legacy of Richard Nixon. . The accounts vary slightly: according toNewsweek, "Nobody would talk to him. You'll be here in the year 2 , and we'll see how I'm regarded then" (Ambrose, 1991, p. 27), Nixon's "rehabilitation" to the status of a wizened "elderstatesman" was probably reckoned as the goal he would pursue from the timehe left office. A1; A19.Weinberger, C. Despite asserting that the resurgence of his persona "has not been adeliberate program . 493). The public appearances which followed were numerous, and usually well-received. I should have established a moral tone that would have made such actions unthinkable. Columbia Journalism Review, pp. Rolling Stone, pp. Lexington (1994) expressed thebelief that there was some revisionist work at hand: The first gush of reflections on his life have mostly emphasized the positive, often in a reverential tone that goes beyond the normal respect for the dead. None of that was any part of the proposed Nixon Revolution. (1994, May 1). The American media, to this day,almost universally despise him, although they were in some measurerespectful in the days immediately following his death on April 22, 1994.The vast majority of Nixon's biographers follow the manner of thejournalists. What he will be remembered for is the nightmare he put the country through in his second term, and for his resignation (pp. 597). A16). 484). I am going to speak out for peace and for freedom. . On the plane ride to Egypt,the three men chatted "about their relations with Sadat, about Middle Eastpolitics, about their presidential libraries and the books they werewriting, about life after the White House" (Ambrose, 1991, p. Ambrose (1991) cites JulieNixon Eisenhower: "Christmas 1974 was the lowest point in my father'slife" (p. . 24-3 .Nixon, R. But let's get on to my achievements. 461-462)--following thefull pardon of Nixon in September 1974. Later that month, Nixon appeared on the top-rated French television program, Dossiers de l'Ecran, which had invited him to France. Richard Milhous Nixon, 1913-1994. (1994, June 16). AndCaspar Weinberger (1994) wrote, "The outpouring of grief at his death andthe worldwide tributes have been moving and genuine. Yet not all were complimentary. 33.----------------------- 13 15 Nixon. . From "dirty tricks" to detente, "Checkers" to China, AlgerHiss to Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Milhous Nixon was at once a master ofgeopolitics, and at the same time a terribly insecure man. Barely six months later, the Chinese government announced that Nixonwould be flown to Peking on February 21, 1976, to mark the fourthanniversary of his historic arrival there. I did not. Thepress was equally outraged. Newsweek, p. I screwed it up. 45). 2 ). . "This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from thisoffice," he began. He came close, but in the end it eluded him (p. In the Arena. (Ambrose, 1991, p. . And writing on behalf of the "twentysomething" generation,Gifford (1994) remarked, "Yet for all his misdeeds, he endured; oncedislodged, he refused to stay that way. (1994, April 3 ). (1991). I have won some great victories and suffered some devastating defeats. 521). New York: Simon & Schuster.Anson, R. . 544). Turbulent career summed up in a word. . That speaks for itself" (Anson,1984, p. It got Iran- Contra. Growing up with Nixon. The moderate politics of Nixon gaveway to the conservatism which now grips the nation. Even former Nixon-haters . (1994, June 16). (1994, May 23). Many of the obituaries and reminisces about Nixon reveal the mixedemotions those who may once have thoroughly hated him now felt. And while historians revise Nixon's reputation, Americans will still be grappling with the damage he inflicted on politics. The New Hampshireprimary was only four days away, and Ford was trailing Ronald Reagan inmost polls. He was especially worth reading on Mao, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev (pp. Washington Post, C2.Johnson, H. That's up from46 percent in 1982 and 35 percent in 1976" (Martz, et al., 1986, p. 368-369). He was a crook. "He just keeps coming back!" is a phrase which can be appliedequally by his critics and his admirers. . . 49 ). Not only had he suffereda life-threatening episode of phlebitis, but his personal finances had"taken a severe . 167). Forbes, p. (1994, May 1). Newsweek was able to headline in 1986 that "The newestRichard Nixon has rehabilitated himself, after a fashion--and he isexpanding his influence in the White House and the Republican Party"(Martz, et al., 1986, p. C1).Von Drehle (1994) wrote, "He was to politics what Sinatra has been tomusic: Permanent, easy to parody, a mixed bag of genius and ugliness andincomparable endurance" (p. Funding for publichigher education and student loans have decreased, the welfare and healthcare reforms Nixon had proposed (and likely would have passed) are longdead (p. Nixon was so crooked that he neededservants to help him screw his pants on every morning. The announcement infuriatedGerald Ford, the White House staff, and other Republicans! (1994, April 23). The people who knew Nixonpersonally either love him or hate him. Rolling Stone, pp. And as Jonathan Alter concluded: "We don't have Dick Nixon to kick aroundanymore, but he'll be kicking us--and our politics--long after thehistorians have had their say" (p. Nixon wanted to be judged by what he accomplished. 515) Beginning with his memoirs, RN: The memoirs of Richard Nixon, Nixonpublished five books between 1978 and 1985, and five more before his death. 435). . He was convincing in defending detente and the need to open China. . 519). I have been on the highest mountains and in the deepest valleys, but I have never lost sight of my destination--a world in which peace and freedom can live together. . 4 ). The legacy of Richard Nixon, so far as the history books willprobably record it, "will be forever linked with the series of scandalsknown as Watergate" (Johnson, 1994, p. The rise and fall and rise and fall and rise of Nixon. 185). (1986, May 19). Revenue sharing programs died "just at the time cities werelosing their factories and tax bases," resulting in poverty, visibly, inthe form of homeless men, women and children (p. 11.Gifford, B. . and I am frankly surprised at the extent to whichthere seems to be an audience for what I have to say" (Martz, et al., 1986,p. . . I am not going to keep my mouth shut. And if onecomes to the final pages of In the Arena, he or she will find Nixon's finalpeace within himself: In the end, what matter is that you have always lived life to the hilt. During the course of the two-hour session, he deftly responded to questions, and said of Watergate: "Some people say I didn't handle it properly, and they're right. 29).It was a far cry from the twenty-two point drop in Ford's approval rating--"from 71 percent to 49 percent, the biggest single (monthly) drop in thehistory of the (Gallop) poll" (Ambrose, 1991, pp. And I paid the price. 11). On theoccasion of the first anniversary of the resignation, it could be reportedthat a "former staff member [described Nixon as] a rejuvenated andimpatient man" who believed that the public was beginning to view him as aman who had probably made some "serious errors of judgment but who did hisbest in the national interest." He had received more than 2 millionletters in that time, the vast majority of which were messages of"sympathy, respect, and gratitude" (Ambrose, 1991, p. He was queer in the deepest way. Macleans, p. He concluded that, "Nixon's spirit will bewith us for the rest of our lives. was a tour de force, the most successful race of his entire career. New York: Simon & Schuster.Bruning, F. Washington Post, A16-A18.Halberstam, D. (199 ). He personified old age andtreachery, triumphant over youth and virtue. 52 ). In the closing pages of his thirdvolume, which provides a large measure of the source material for thispaper (since he refers to much the same references available to others),Ambrose (1991) is most eloquent and impartial: History is apt to be kinder than contemporaries, as passions cool, perspective is gained, new events cast new light on old actions. 36).Or, as Ambrose (1991) summarizes, Nixon will never be called Richard the Great. While the challenge is to present Nixon's version of "the LongMarch" in an unbiased manner, it must be said that there is little resourcematerial available which itself is unbiased. 516), he does remarkthat: There were many positive features to the memoirs. His assessments of foreign leaders were usually good and sometimes brilliant. . Not taking a higher road than my predecessors and my adversaries was my central mistake. (1984). "We owe Richard Nixon gratitude for revealing the pitilessworkings of power. 31). Barry Goldwaterwent so far as to remark on the Senate floor, "If he wants to do thiscountry a favor, he might stay over there" (Ambrose, 1991, p. Ambrose (1991) astutely observes that in the aftermath of Nixon'sresignation, what America got was probably a lot worse than what might haveoccurred under other circumstances. He was a sometimes brilliant, frequently successful, often flawed leader, but never a great leader. 517). 553).Ambrose (1991) continues that Nixon had "won back" the respect of mostRepublicans and many Democrats (p. (1994, July/August). . . The occasion was highly successful. This is not a generational thing. When he resigned, we lost more than we gained (p. 'Icovered up. Revising Richard Nixon. This paper seeks to examine the slow, methodical return of Nixon tothe American scene in the two decades between his resignation and hisdeath. Greatness as a leader was what he dedicated his life to attaining. I'm sorry'" (p. According toAmbrose's (1991) assessment, Nixon "was on his way back" (p. 119). 519). New York: Simon & Schuster.Thompson, H. Although he was greeted by several hundred anti-Nixon demonstrators outside, the reception inside was decidedly more cordial: "At the sight of him, the eight hundred Oxford men who had gathered in the union's wood-paneled confines, broke into whistling applause, drowning out the chanting from outside" (Anson, 1984, p. Reduced to a few sentences,perhaps even a paragraph, the knowledge of the man will be lost to thosewho get their information from television instead of books. I have paid, and am still paying, the price for it (p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.