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The Nixon Presidency

The Nixon Presidency. The 1968 Election. Democratic candidates in primary election: Robert Kennedy: shot by Sirhan Sirhan (Iranian against Kennedy’s support of Israel) during CA primary election

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The Nixon Presidency

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  1. The Nixon Presidency

  2. The 1968 Election • Democratic candidates in primary election: • Robert Kennedy: shot by SirhanSirhan (Iranian against Kennedy’s support of Israel) during CA primary election • Vice President Hubert Humphrey: President Johnson declined the party nomination after poor showing in NH primary • Humphrey was nominated as Democratic candidate

  3. The 1968 Election • Republican candidate: • Richard Nixon: • after losing to Kennedy, the Republicans ran a smoother, well-funded campaign • promised to bring “peace with honor” in Vietnam

  4. The 1968 Election • Minor (third) party candidates: • Peace and Freedom Party: • radical anti-war platform • nominated Elridge Cleaver, a Blank Panther leader • American Independent Party: • George Wallace; Pro-war, anti-tax platform

  5. Nixon won the general election with 301 electoral votes and 43% of the popular vote

  6. "Television is no gimmick, and nobody will ever be elected to major office again without presenting themselves well on it."-Television producer and Nixon campaign consultant Roger Ailes, 1968

  7. Nixon’s Domestic Policy: • Appointments: appointed conservative Republicans to federal positions and to the Supreme Court • Fiscal Policy: increased interest rates and decreased government spending

  8. Space Program: continued to fund U.S. advancements in space, spending $23 billionOn July 20, 1969, U.S. astronauts walked on the moon • http://www.space.com/news/aldrin_incident_020911.html

  9. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Vietnamization: • Nixon wanted to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam • U.S. began gradual withdrawal of troops • U.S. equipped South Vietnam with arms and supplies to continue fighting • Nixon ordered bombing of North Vietnam and neighboring Cambodia • North Vietnam took over South Vietnam in 1975

  10. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Secretary of State Henry Kissinger carried out realistic foreign policy goals (realpolitik) • softened hard-line containment policies • U.S. recognized Communist China, and Nixon visited in 1972 to open up trade with China

  11. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • encouraged détente policies to ease Cold War tensions • U.S. and Soviet Union engaged in peace talks and signed treaties • SALT Treaty: Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty –limited number of missiles per each nation

  12. Definition of Executive Privilege • The President and other members of the executive branch cannot legally be forced to share confidential communications if they could endanger the executive branch or American public. • No direct Constitutional basis; supported by separation of powers principle

  13. Nixon’s Imperial Presidency & Watergate • Nixon’s Executive Department: • relied heavily on private communications with his staff • did not inform Americans of activities • did not inform public of bombings in Cambodia for a year • did not cooperate with Congress • refused to enact legislation created by Congress (not uncommon in divided gvt.)

  14. Nixon’s Imperial Presidency & Watergate • Watergate: • “Pentagon Papers” published in New York Times: • showed early U.S. involvement in Vietnam, including many errors in communication (took place during Kennedy’s presidency but sparked mistrust of Nixon) • former employee of Defense Department, Daniel Ellsberg gave the Papers to the New York Times

  15. Nixon’s Imperial Presidency & Watergate • The Plumbers • A group of special investigators authorized by Nixon and created to stop leaks and prevent classified information from leaving the White House • Plumbers tried to damage Elsberg’s reputation by breaking into his psychiatrist’s office (located in the Watergate Hotel). • Plumbers were arrested at scene of burglary • Included former White House aides

  16. Nixon’s Imperial Presidency & Watergate • The Cover Up: • FBI investigation: Nixon asked the CIA to urge the FBI to stop the investigation • Woodward and Bernstein: reporters for the Washington Post who traced payment to the burglars to CREEP, Nixon’s Committee to Re-elect the President

  17. Meeting with “Deep Throat” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVNU5jkOwzU

  18. Senate Hearings: White House Counsel John Dean testified that Nixon ordered the break in • Hearings revealed Nixon had recorded his conversations in the Oval Office • Nixon refused to turn over the tapes, claiming executive privilege • Supreme Court ruled president must turn over tapes • Tapes proved Nixon knew about the burglary and ordered the cover-up

  19. Saturday Night Massacre: • Nixon ordered the Attorney General to fire the special prosecutor investigating the tapes • When the Attorney General refused, Nixon replaced him • Sparked 16 different bills of impeachment in the House

  20. Impeachment: • House drew up three articles of impeachment: • Obstruction of justice • Abusing authority • Hindering investigation • Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974 before he could be impeached

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