***(Editor’s Note: Leading up to Inauguration Day on January 20th, “The Thirsty Quill” is publishing a series entitled “Ranking The Presidents.” There is no ‘exact science’ to these rankings other than personal opinion based on such factors as policy, performance, popularity, perseverance, integrity, and legacy. Aside from those Presidents ranked in the top 25% and the bottom 25%, there is a great deal of ‘wiggle room’ for discretionary placement and movement. These rankings are strictly the personal opinion of the Editor of ‘The Quill,’ and should not be regarded as an academic survey of any type. Debate of these rankings is highly encouraged and appreciated.)***

#38: Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

Clinton and Nixon could just as easily have been flip-flopped at #’s 39 and 38. Yet, I’ll give Nixon the advantage here due to the fact that he actually had a great deal of tangible success prior to his ‘Waterloo’ at Watergate.

He had so much going for him…that is, until he developed an extreme case of paranoia. A lengthy and successful political career, service to his home state of California and to the nation that he loved, Nixon had been Vice President under the immensely popular Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953-1961, several years before becoming President.

Yet the story begins much earlier than that. After graduating from Duke Law School, Nixon worked as an attorney until he took a job in Washington DC with the Office of Price Administration in early-1942. But with the onset of World War II, Nixon felt a sense of obligation to serve his nation in uniform, and became a commissioned officer in the Navy later that year.

Nixon served in both the House and Senate prior to becoming the Vice President. So it came as no surprise when in 1960, Nixon earned the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy for the Presidency. Of course, everyone knows how that election turned out. However, few realize just how close the final tally was, as Kennedy defeated Nixon by a very slim margin (about 120,000) in the popular vote.

After eight years of Democratic control of the Oval Office, Nixon won the approval of many conservatives and thus took the White House in the 1968 Election. As President, Nixon had a great deal of success, most of which is forgotten in lieu of Watergate. It was Nixon who was ultimately responsible for bringing the Vietnam War to a long-overdue end. Nixon was also successful in boosting America’s economy, and oversaw a great deal of progress in school desegregation and civil rights legislation. Nixon was extremely popular among most Americans by the end of his first term.

Because of his success, Nixon gained the trust and confidence of the American people. When he ran for reelection in 1972, Nixon won by a crushing margin, taking 49 of 50 states against Democratic challenger Senator George McGovern (what a great name). Nixon had won by a landslide, and all was well in America with its newfound faith in an “honorable government,” right?

Wrong.

Things began to change almost overnight. Vice President Spiro Agnew was accused of a variety of charges, including tax evasion and money laundering, after a lengthy investigation. In light of this development, Agnew resigned, leaving a gaping hole in the VP Office. Nixon then tapped House Minority Leader Gerald Ford (R) for the vacancy. You see where this is going, right?

Despite his overwhelming success and heightened popularity, Nixon had developed a sense of political paranoia prior to the 1972 Election. The establishment of CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President) underscored an emerging trend to protect Nixon’s grip on the White House at all costs…and by any means necessary.

Those ‘means’ included ordering the illegal break-in of the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate Building in Washington, DC. Nixon was involved from the beginning, and had firsthand knowledge of the attempt to cover-up the operation and roadblock the subsequent investigations being conducted by the FBI. Nixon and many of his staffers had engaged in multiple criminal acts, and despite his best efforts to hide the evidence (including recorded conversations from the Oval Office), the proverbial ‘writing on the wall’ spelled certain impeachment for the President. Rather than face the sobering reality of becoming the first President to be removed from office, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. His departure opened the Oval Office to Gerald Ford, who had been appointed…not elected. 

Notable Quotations: “Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth. To see it like it is, and tell it like it is. To find the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth.” (Nixon in 1968)

“For years politicians have promised the moon. I’m the first one to be able to deliver it.” (July 20, 1969, on the first moon landing)

“History makes the man more than the man makes history.”

“The trouble with Republicans is that when they get into trouble, they start acting like cannibals.”

“When the President does it, that means it is not illegal.” 

Famous Slogan/Phrase Associated With Nixon: “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.” (November 1973, during the Watergate scandal investigation)

#38: Richard Nixon

Victory, or Defeat, Mr. Former-President?

PRESIDENTIAL RANKINGS SO FAR:

#38: Richard Nixon

#39: Bill Clinton

#40: Warren Harding

#41: Andrew Johnson

#42*: James Garfield

#43*: William Henry Harrison