Ten years after he died - was Nixon better than Bush?

[UrbScotty]

Richard M. Nixon died on April 22, 1994, just after 9:00 PM, in a hospital in New York City, four days after suffering a stroke.

Ten years ago tomorrow night. Hard to believe, huh?

Anyway, how is Bush compared to Nixon? Who is/was the lesser of the evils?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

1. Nixon at least signed some liberal legislation into law

after massive public pressure. Bush is too arrogant to ever do the right thing.

Somewhere out there, Ralph Nader has a great essay of being in the room with a bunch of activists when Nixon signed OSHA into law. It's a really funny fly on the wall piece and worth a read

[swinney]

2. Nixon intelligent

Nixon knew government

Nixon was his own man.

Nixon did not need an aide to help answer questions.

[izzie]

13. I voted for him and found it hard to believe he had done it.

I voted Republican until I got interested in all this stuff so by Reagan I was voting Dem.Every one in my family were always rep. but they were really not like the Rep of today. Something happened in there that I do not understand and I know other "Republican" that are now Dem and they can not figure it out either. The war, church, and spending is not the rep party of old.

[DarkPhenyx]

3. I've said for some time that...

...history will view Nixon far kinder than people who lived through that era will. I do not feel the same way about Bush. I think, in the fullness of time, history will view Bush much more harshly.

[trekbiker]

4. hell yes..

Tricky Dick was a crook but at least he had an idea of what foriegn policy is. Also signed some good environmental legislation

Bush is the worst president in US history!! or at least tied for worst with a couple of them. certainly the most damaging admin ever

[wtmusic]

5. GWB is the Worst President in American History

Period, end of story.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

6. Nixon was a venal, paranoid, vindictive bastard

Who used the power of the White House in shocking ways that left people aghast. But he was so much better than Bush. As bad as Tricky Dick was, I think even he would have been appalled by Shrub.

[DemosthenesOfTheWest]

35. Exactly, nixon would have been literally staggered by two things.

1) The sheer ineptitude and stupidity of this administration, especially at how dim Bush is.

2) At how much control irrational dispensationist religious nut cases over foreign policy.

[scope]

7. Negotiator

Despite his flaws as an honest leader. Nixon was a great foreign affairs negotiator, and was called on by almost every President for advice between his resignation, and his death.

Bush makes amazing demands of independent nations, and then acts bewildered when his "relations" don't work.

[mainer]

8. Is a dead Nixon is better than a live Bush?

Which is how I read the poll at first! And the answer is still Yes!

[leetrisck]

9. John Dean's book says bush is

worse than Nixon and I would guess he probably knows.

[napi21]

33. You beat me to that one. I am almost finished with Deans book

He compares the two, and with all Nixon's faults, Bush is far worse. The big problem now is that all 3 branches of Gov't are controlled by the Pugs so noone is going to make waves.

All we can hope for is our word of mouth and orgs like Moveon to make it public.

[physioex]

10. I started to respect Nixon

In his later years cause he started to make sense. Atleast Nixon was an intelligent man and he could rationalize. This idiot can't read past the 1st grade level.

[Bridget Burke]

11. HST: "He was a Crook"

Always glad to quote the Good Doctor: "Richard Nixon is gone now, and I am poorer for it. He was the real thing -- a political monster straight out of Grendel and a very dangerous enemy. He could shake your hand and stab you in the back at the same time. He lied to his friends and betrayed the trust of his family. Not even Gerald Ford, the unhappy ex-president who pardoned Nixon and kept him out of prison, was immune to the evil fallout. Ford, who believes strongly in Heaven and Hell, has told more than one of his celebrity golf partners that 'I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon.'

"I have had my own bloody relationship with Nixon for many years, but I am not worried about it landing me in hell with him. I have already been there with that bastard, and I am a better person for it. Nixon had the unique ability to make his enemies seem honorable, and we developed a keen sense of fraternity. Some of my best friends have hated Nixon all their lives. My mother hates Nixon, my son hates Nixon, I hate Nixon, and this hatred has brought us together."

www.theatlantic.com/unbound/graffiti/crook.htm

But I agree that Bush is worse. Is this really the future?

[bobbieinok]

25. read a similar statement by him in Rolling Stone after Nixon died

I was just so freaked out by all the positive statements.

And then I read Hunter and realized that yes there is some continuity in life.

...Some of my best friends have hated Nixon all their lives. My mother hates Nixon, my son hates Nixon, I hate Nixon, and this hatred has brought us together."

I think he maybe said in R..S.."my dog hates Nixon."

I also remember it something like "We hated him then and we hated him now."

[VOX]

12. Barry Goldwater on Nixon: "Nixon was the most dishonest individual..."

"...I have ever met in my life. He lied to his wife, his family, his friends, his colleagues in the Congress, lifetime members of his own political party, the American people and the world."

That said, a true conservative like Goldwater would no doubt have been made ill by the * presidency.

[KansDem]

14. At least Nixon was elected...

Therein lies the 800-pound gorilla that NOBODY (except DUers and the enlightened few) wishes to acknowledge...

[kayell]

15. Now there's a sentance I NEVER thought I'd agree with

"Nixon was better" :scared:

[tom_paine]

16. Bunnypants* makes one long for the honest and decency of Dick Nixon

(and that is saying a lot!!!)

:puke: :puke:

I feel dirty now.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. No contest

I long for Nixon often these days.... the difference between Hell and purgatory

[Mattforclark]

18. At least Nixon pretended to have a plan... even if it was a secret plan

[EndElectoral]

19. That is liking choosing Lucifer or Beelzebub

[0007]

20. Dick Cheney makes Spiro Agnew look like a sick two-bit whore

The big difference between Nixon & junior is that Nixon had a brain and was too dumb to use it, and junior only thinks he has a brain and thinks he's using it.

No one in the history of the world will ever have a more stupid leader than junior.

[No2W2004]

22. Agnew was just

your typical, graft-ridden, bribe-taking punk politician..

Cheney is truly EVIL :evilfrown:

[0007]

29. You got that right!

[charlie]

21. Nixon was an odious prick

and he had the same audacity for disregarding decency and law as the Bushevites (Paris Peace Talks derailment, anyone?), he just had the misfortune of not being president when Republicans owned every branch of gov't and the media. That we can regard his administration almost wistfully is only a measure of contrast with the Bushco horror.

[cally]

23. Under Nixon, we almost had legislation

to help the working poor. The welfare reform that was almost passed was so progressive compared to what Clinton signed. Nixon also signed much of the great environmental legislation we depend upon today.

Nixon was a crook, secretive, and a lying scumbag. But he is so much better than dumbya.

[DemosthenesOfTheWest]

24. Nixon was more calculating and purposeful in his law breaking.

But Bush is far more dangerous. Had we had Bush in the late 50s or early 60s we would all be dead and America would be radioactive husk.

[MrSandman]

26. I had to say Bush is better because...

I believe Nixon was much self-serving in his deceit. Bush approaches delusional status thinking he is doing the correct thing.

Motivation does count.

[ironflange]

27. Nixon was an evil genius

He ran the whole show. In Chimpy's case, the evil ones (notice I don't say geniuses) are the ones holding his strings.

[DemosthenesOfTheWest]

36. "And Bush is an evil imbecile."

Hard to say which is worse really.

[notadmblnd]

28. Worse than Watergate

I picked up John Deans book yesterday (John Dean was Nixons White House council). I have'nt gotten too far in it yet but Mr. Dean says "Not since Nixon left the White House have we had such greed over presidential power, and never before have we had such political paranoia".

Mr Dean also says that "Bush and Cheney's blatant and unchecked use of Nixonian stonewalling. Obfuscation and deceit has concealed government business that the public has a right to know".

[peekaloo]

30. Wasn't the EPA created by Nixon or came into being during his term(s)?

which Boo$h is destroying by s*cking the corporate schlong!

[Jacobin]

31. Nixon was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than Smirky

There is not even a comparison.

And back then, we had something called a "congress". It used to be in the constitution....like one of three co-equal branches of government.

No, really, it was a co-equal branch of government. and back then, if the president really fucked up, they would threaten to impeach him and he would actually resign!!! No shit. It used to happen.

And back then, there was something called a "press" and they considered themselves "a government watchdog". No really!!! And they would actually investigate wrongdoing in government and they would REPORT IT!! On TV and in the newspapers!!!! No, Really, they really did!!

And, so when you had a corrupt guy in government, they would report it and congress would have hearings and they would throw him out on the street!!!!

Can you imagine? I mean, really, it was pretty cool. I think they called it "democracy" or something.....I forget.....

[solinvictus]

32. Nixon was much better...

I believe that, at the core of his being, Nixon honestly did what he thought was best with the circumstances he inherited from LBJ. Bush, however, had the presidency handed to him and has f%cked up everything he's touched from day one to enrich his buddies.

[Ilsa]

34. I am no fan of RMN, but the man could deliver a speech.

In early 1990's, he was speaking on stage to some group, I can't remember who, perhaps a university, no podium to grasp and stand behind, no notes, no written speech before him. He spoke more eloquently on whatever subject (I believe it was foreign policy) at nearly age 80, than Shrub would ever be able to manage on his best day with all the prep work from his staff.

[BigBigBear]

37. Nixon had stature

he was a deeply flawed and venal man, but he had stature and some gravitas.

Plus, he was an outstanding piano player and an energetic reader. He had an active mind.

Bush is an arrogant dolt.