The Nixon Presidency

I. The Nixon Presidency

A. A Narrow Victory (1968)
1. With LBJ out, Robert Kennedy’s assassination after winning the CA primary, and Eugene McCarthy’s “Radical agenda”, the Democrats nominated the more conservative Hubert Humphrey (LBJ’s VP)
2. Third party candidate George Wallace gathered support with a pro-segregation, white supremacist platform,
3. Despite having lost the presidential election in 1960 and CA gubernatorial election of 1962, Nixon managed to get the Republican nomination.
4. Criticizing civil unrest “radicals” school integration and promising an end to Vietnam, Nixon gathered support from working class “forgotten Americans”
5. With Wallace getting 14% and Humphrey 38%, Nixon won by a narrow margin. The Senate and House remained Democrat.

B. Nixon’s Foreign Policy
1. Kissinger was selected as Secretary of State; advocated “realpolitik” (do what’s best, don’t stand for values)
2. Vietnam- while wanting to pull out, Nixon’s propriety was “peace with honor”; Nixon escalated attacks on North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to force North Vietnam to negotiations. After heavy bombing of North Vietnamese cities, the Paris Accords of 1973, officially ending hostilities between the US and North Vietnam.
3. Détente- Nixon’s Policy of reducing tensions with the communist powers.
4. Seizing upon the growing rift between China and the USSR, Nixon finally recognized the People’s Republic of China and flew there to meet with Mao Zedong in 1972 thus reestablishing political and economic relations.
5. Later the same year, Nixon went to the Soviet Union and brokered the SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) imposing limits on AMB (Anti-ballistic missile) systems and freezing nuclear weapons production for 5 years.
6. Kissinger eventually achieved an end to the oil embargo and a ceasefire between Israel and the Arab coalition of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in 1975.
7. In less developed countries, Nixon supported non-communist but repressive government (Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, S. Korea and the Portuguese in Angola) and funded a coup to oust democratically elected (but Marxist) Salvador Allende in Chile.
8. Nixon Doctrine- avoiding military interaction, but instead financially supporting non-communists.

C. Domestic policy
1. Approved much liberal legislation including wage and price controls, affirmative action, nationwide voting wage of 18, environmental and endangered species protection, established the EPA and OSHA.
2. Faced with Stagflation (Stagnation and Inflation) and the oil embargo, Nixon devalued the dollar and increased deficit spending but the economy remained stagnant until the 80s
3. Promooted a tough stance toward “radicals” through government harassment (IRS, FBI, CIA) and eventually, more covert and sometimes illegal means (Liddy and Hunt;s “plumbers”
4. Won vital support in the South, stalling integration by stopping court mandated busing.
5. Nominated 4 Supreme Court justices who were more conservative (but still somewhat liberal to get Senate approval)

D. Nixon’s Fall From Grace
1. To ensure reelection in 1972, Nixon created the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) to play “dirty tricks” on the Democrats.
2. Led by Liddy and Hunt (the “plumbers”) CREEP engaged in creating discord and spying on Democrats.
3. A CREEP agent was arrested in a botched break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building in june 1972. Nixon was not immediately implicated and won the AElection of 1972 in a landslide.
4. In 1973, the Senate and House began to investigate CREEP’s illegal activities.
5. Later that year, VP Agnew resigned due to income tax evasion.
6. In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed and gained access to recordings from Nixon’s Oval Office wiretaps.
7. With evidence from the tapes, the House initiated impeachment proceedings on three counts: obstruction of justice for impeding Watergate Investigation, abuse of power for partisan use of FBI and IRS, and contempt of Congress.
8. On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned and his newly appointed VP Ford became President, pardoning Nixon.