August 09, 2005

• Aah... I'd never thought I'd recall Watergate as a simpler, more honest time of politics, but there you are. As for the contents itself, I particularly enjoyed how he would have said "I'm not going to argue my case right now", and then do exactly that. Mistakes compounded on mistakes. Blame the staff for not telling him what was on the tapes, when he was pretty much there the entire time. Nevertheless, there are some fair points in there, about the need to go through the proper Constitutional process, rather than submit to political pressure and resign. The fact that he did resign, despite these points of principle, shows that he knew he was beaten. The ol' you-can't-fire-me-I-quit. Simpler, more honest time in politics... which lasted until Jimmy showed that a decent man could never survive in Washington ever again.
• The proper constitutional process is a good point and I was surprised when I read that non-speech to feel myself peruaded to that view. I find it interesting (to say the least, and Nixon is certainly not on his own by any stretch) that policitians will often construct arguments of seemingly diametrically opposite positions, the most politically favourable one being chosen when all the polling data has been examined. But that non-speech, with hindsight, illuminates a fellow of not inconsderable hubris, willing to recast his actions in the past as blameless innocence. It is instructive in so far as 'sometimes even the President of the United States must have to stand naked'.
• The speech was never shown to Nixon. Doesn't that rather distance Mr Nixon from this?
• No. You think that a speechwriter would have crafted this -- including the rejigging of the Haleman conversation -- without direct input from Nixon? I venture to suggest that he advised the writer very deliberately about what they should prepare. Especially so given the grave state of affairs at the time.
• Fair enough. My knowledge of the relationship of speechwriters to presidents is limited to watching the West Wing.
• Nixon was Jed Bartlett on coke, gin, and human sacrifice.
• I should really say: I don't know Abiezer_Coppe -- and to be perfectly honest I hadn't seen that caveat above the speech until you gave me a momentary heart attack by telling me -- I am making an edumacated guess. That Haldeman thing was only known by Nixon and Haldeman presumably. Perhaps I'm wrong. But West Wing aside, this was not a normal (I suppose that's an adjective that doesn't ever apply to the White house but still..) period in a Presidency - he was (did) going down. It just seems farfetched or positively strange to consider Nixon not being deeply involved in preparation/direction of a speech with the potential to save/end his political life.
• And we didn't toss his ass in jail then, because...????
• Ford pardoned him?
• Ford pardoned Nixon on September 8, 1974. (Pardon text and transcript of announcement.) Behind the Nixon Pardon