Richard Nixon Was a Good President and a Good Man

A recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University states that, according to a plurality of voters, President Obama is the worst President since World War II. He was followed closely by George W. Bush and President Richard Nixon rounded out the top three. Though I would make the argument that none of these three are the worst President (you'll have to ask me personally if you want to know my number one), I'd like to take a moment to highlight the overlooked achievements of our 37th President.

Mr. Richard Milhous Nixon was born to Quaker parents in January of 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. Named after Richard the Lionheart, as a child Nixon exhibited many of the same qualities as the 12th century king—leadership, fortitude, and brilliance. As president of his eighth grade class, an outstanding football player, a talented debater, and an astute academic, Nixon was a star that shined exceptionally bright.

Despite his long list of extracurricular activities, Nixon's primary job was being a good son and a good brother. His brother, Harold, was diagnosed with tuberculosis during Nixon's sophomore year in high school. In order to take care of his brother, Nixon quit one of his most beloved passions: football. He even declined a scholarship to attend Harvard University to remain in his hometown and attend Whittier College in order to care for his sick brother. Still engaged in a number of extracurricular activities, Nixon continued to excel academically at Whittier and, subsequently, received a full ride to Duke Law School, where he went on to graduate third in his class.

Nixon bounced around a few jobs before deciding to commission in the United States Navy in 1942. Though he wasn't directly involved in combat, Nixon was stationed at Guadalcanal and Nissan Island, in charge of the Combat Air Transport Command. After being assigned to several administrative positions, Nixon resigned his commission in 1946.

Although he did not actively seek a career in politics, by some random stroke of luck (or an act of God, some might say), the Republicans of California's 12th district selected Richard Nixon as their man. In his first political campaign, Nixon defeated the Democratic incumbent, Jerry Voorhis, by a substantial margin, thus, marking the beginning of a long and often turbulent political career.

From there, he moved to the Senate, winning yet another decisive Congressional race. From the Senate, Nixon took a stance against communism while expressing favor towards civil rights, thus, winning the hearts of Americans on both sides of the aisle. As a result, Eisenhower, while running for President in 1952, selected Nixon as his running mate, largely for political reasons. In response to criticisms against Nixon for allegedly receiving reimbursements for political expenses, he gave his famous Checkers speech, which shifted the nation's attention from political funds to an adorable little cocker spaniel, resulting in tremendous national support for the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket.

The two gentlemen won the 1952 election and were re-elected in 1956. During his Vice Presidency, Nixon was involved in critical affairs in the Far East, the Civil Rights act of 1957, and the famous Kitchen Debate. He went on to run for President in 1960, only to lose to John F. Kennedy by a tremendously narrow margin. (A loss which many attribute to introduction of televised debates.) Nixon went on to run for President again in 1968 against Hubert Humphrey, whose campaign was permanently stained by the violent protests of the Democratic National Convention.

Nixon won the election in 1968, as well as his bid for re-election in 1972. Though his Presidency will forever be connected with the so-called failure of the Vietnam War, secret bombings in Cambodia, the Pentagon Papers, and - of course - the Watergate Scandal, his Presidency was about much more than controversy. The title of this article states that Richard Nixon was both a good man and a good president - a bold statement to many. However, the belief that President Nixon was one of the worst (if not the worst) Presidents originated within the media and, unfortunately, has been perpetuated by misleading articles and history books.

So why do I believe that President Nixon was a good President and a good man? I'll address the "good man" label first. What little details I've provided regarding Nixon's upbringing should be sufficient evidence to defend the righteousness of his character, but it goes far beyond that. Not only was he was a major champion of civil rights, he was also a respectful diplomat and a true environmentalist. And despite his rough, hard-shelled exterior, Nixon is also known for being a warmhearted romantic. In letters to the soon-to-be Mrs. Nixon, Dick wrote romantic one-liners such as "the only thing that matters is that I love you more every day." Though he may have been a distant, introverted man in the political world, there was a soft, compassionate side of Nixon which existed deep within the shadows of his personal life.

Why do I believe that Nixon was a good President? That is a question that, if answered sincerely, requires a great deal of long-windedness, so I will attempt to summarize President Nixon's  achievements in a somewhat brief manner. First and foremost, it is because of Nixon and Kissinger's foreign policy that the United States and China were able to re-establish a formal relationship. The President was able to settle relations between China and Taiwan; he was able to settle tensions between the U.S. and China as a result of the Vietnam War; he was able to quell international communist influences by further blocking the Soviet sphere of influence in China; and he fostered the Sino-American relationship which would ultimately lead to China's Open Door Policy.

Secondly, although they are rarely mentioned, Nixon made several forceful attempts at negotiating a reasonable and peaceful end to the war in Vietnam shortly after assuming the Presidency. In fact, in 1969, he introduced plans to begin weening Vietnamese troops off of their dependency on American soldiers so that they could fight their own war. Although he authorized secretive or covert operations in both Cambodia and Laos, these were often attempts to control supply trails and hinder the North Vietnamese through nonviolent means. On one hand, Nixon did not want the War in Vietnam to wage anymore than anyone else in America. On the other hand, he understood the importance of securing democracy in the Far East and assuring that the lives of American soldiers were not lost in vain.

Thirdly, his negotiations with the Soviet Union provided more progress in slowing nuclear proliferation than had been achieved by any previous President, as evidenced by SALT I and the beginnings of SALT II. Furthermore, his policies in the Far East, Latin American, and the Middle East also slowed the rate of Soviet influence. Along with his accomplishments in China and (arguably) Vietnam, Nixon was a strong supporter of Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia and Iran, who were all seeking to push back the extending reach of communism.

Fourthly, Nixon implemented numerous economic policies to fight rising inflation of the American dollar. He ended the convertibility of the dollar into gold which served its purpose of stabilizing the dollar (though its long-term effects have been highly debated by economists and politicians). In fact, the investor confidence which occurred as a result of this move by Nixon caused the Dow to increase 33 points the very next day.

Fifthly, as previously mentioned, Nixon was very concerned with environmentalism, and this concern led to the creation of EPA, as well as OSHA. He also supported the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the National Environmental Policy Act and is widely regarded as the greatest environmentalist President since Teddy Roosevelt. On the home front, Nixon also supported Healthcare reform, through things such as the replacement of Medicaid with state-run programs; he initiated the war on drugs; he catalyzed civil rights; and - under his watch - the United States became the world's first nation to place a man on the moon.

These are just a few achievements among many which are too frequently overlooked when considering Richard Nixon's legacy. Did he engage in dishonest and corrupt acts in the Watergate Scandal? Yes. But the shadow cast by this scandal, however large it may be, should not be large enough to obscure his innumerable accomplishments which improved both American life and the international political climate. And say what you will about Nixon and his coarse personality; after the soft, weak exterior and friendly personality of Kennedy and the juvenility and sporadic personality of Johnson, the United States needed a strong, tough, decisive, and calculated President. That is exactly what we got with Richard Nixon.

He may never be recognized for his successes, but - for better or for worse - the name Richard Nixon will never be forgotten.