Do You Remember Nixon?

Just before the election in 1972 my students (in a Christian high school) asked what I thought would happen. I said Nixon would win, but he would be forced out of office before his term was up. "Oh, Mr. Harvey, you only say that because you don't like Nixon." (The school vote went: students 100% Nixon, faculty 80% Nixon.)

Many months later I was able to say, "Hey, do you guys remember what I said before the election?" Oh. Wow. "Mr. Harvey! How did you know that?" Well, I was just paying a little more attention than most of the Christians around me.

The dishonesty and corruption of this administration make Nixon look like one of the really good guys in American history. But, as then, today's Christians in general cannot see it. They were told by their leaders to get out and vote Bush or this country is down the drain. So they did.

There are thus two huge questions coming out of this election.

First, why are Christians so willfully blind to the moral realities of the Bush agenda?

Second, will "the wheels come off" of this administration, as they did for Nixon?

I'm inclined to think they will not, since the neocons behind the scenes have been so smart and wholehearted in their manipulation of church and media, and so effective at dominating all areas of government. I'm pretty pessimistic. It seems Lincoln's "great experiment" in "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" is perishing from this land - by vote of the well-manipulated people. What's your take on this?



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Nixon was a saint compared to this guy (none / 0)

Larry, I've thought alot about the Nixon administration lately, and how it was pale by comparison to shrub's.  I agree with you that the shenanagins will probably not catch up with the Bushies.  The media doesn't want to hold this administration responsible because the higher ups want Bush in power for their own personal gain.  And even if they did want to, there's very few of them that have the balls to do go after him.  Even the once brave Bob Woodward has become a Bush suck up.  Let's face it, in a sane world there never would have been a President George W. Bush in the first place!
by Slapmaxwell on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:21:31 PM EST

Wheels Won't Come Off (none / 0)

The political context in the early 70s was totally different.  The Democrats controlled Congress.  The judiciary was still relatively liberal(the same Supreme Court that ruled against Nixon on the Watergate tapes was also responsible for Roe v. Wade).  The media still had a spine.

None of those conditions apply today.  And even Watergate depended on a great number of contingencies coming together, from the tape on the door lock to the fact that the original break-in case went to Judge Sirica's court to Woodward finding Deep Throat to John Dean being terrified of going to prison to...you get the idea.

Nope, don't depend on the wheels coming off. We're going to have to take them off.  Get set for some really stupefying political trench warfare.

by LaughingHistorian on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 10:13:00 PM EST

Re: Wheels Won't Come Off (none / 0)

I agree that the wheels won't come off.  The biggest reason is that Congress won't look at any Bush administration malfeasances with a solid Republican majority in both houses.  The people in George's administration are disciplined.  Lack of support for the administration is the only way to get fired.

I submit that the big turnout by right-wing evangelicals that won a second term for Bush was enhanced because they saw a "moral" administration with no serious scandals

I am afraid that the moralists will not desert the Republican party until and unless there is a scandal of Watergate proportions.  

by flatblade on Mon Nov 08, 2004 at 06:59:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Remember the outcry (none / 0)

I have also been thinking allot about Nixon's reelection.  That was my first election I could vote in.  Things looked worse then- the election was a blowout and Nixon didn't have to manufacture a mandate.  But you are right, We don't have the congress or the courts to check the abuses.  As for the press, it is clear that there have been attempts to distort coverage (Faux News) or to intimidate (code word: "liberal press").
Clearly , we can't rely on the press to objectively report even the most damning corruption.  But the press will cover confrontations.  This is why the democrats must speak up and speak out.  I am sure that those that speak out will be attacked but the survival of our democracy is at stake.
I also remember going to Nixon's "anti-inauguration" demonstration in D.C.  We weren't constrained by any talk of mandate and continued to speak truth to power. Even though it was very unpopular.  This laid the ground work for the perception that the administration was partisan. Such a perception was necessary for the Watergate Scandal to take hold.
The good news is that the perception of Bush as a wonderful patriot, strong leader etc. has been damaged in the election.  Many republicans realize this.  Now a scandal cannot be simply dismissed in the publics mind.  However such a perception will not last if democrats go along and just play nice.  
Democrats must pound away on war profiteering so these investigations go forward.  Otherwise Halliburton etc. might get lost in the courts.
 
by stevie on Mon Nov 08, 2004 at 11:32:08 AM EST


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