WHEN NOW BECOMES THEN

By Edwin Cooney

As an admirer of Richard Milhous Nixon, I was excited and anticipatory as the 56-year-old Californian living then in New York City took the presidential oath of office while being sworn in by his former California governor and now retiring Chief Justice of the United States, Earl Warren. The fact of the matter was, as few Americans realized, neither Nixon nor Warren much liked or trusted each other — but duty was duty for both men. Back in 1952, most of the California delegates had planned to vote for their governor on the first ballot to preserve the delegation’s power during future ballots. To Earl Warren and his friends, Nixon had demonstrated his incapacity to keep his good political word.

However, on the way to the Chicago convention, Senator Nixon had broken with his fellow delegates to support General Dwight Eisenhower's candidacy. Hence, Richard Nixon left the 1952 Convention as the Vice Presidential candidate and Earl Warren left with a tentative promise of a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

As Nixon entered the presidency that Monday, both his personal and political reputations were in question. In 1946 when he ran for Congress, he sought to link his opponent, incumbent Jerry Voorhis, a New Deal Democrat, with Communist elements of the labor movement. Four years later, he sought to link Helen Gahagan Douglas, his opponent for election to the U.S. Senate, with Communism. Anti-Communism had been the ongoing theme of Nixon’s political career much to the chagrin of most Democrats and a few Republicans. As he sought the presidency in 1960, former Socialist candidate The Reverend  Norman Thomas acknowledged that Nixon was obviously an able man, but Thomas wondered out loud about Mr. Nixon's political motives.

Although he was moderately conservative that January Inauguration Day, there were elements of progressivism in Mr. Nixon's background. He had supported the Eisenhower Administration’s civil rights efforts in 1957 and in 1960 and was cordial with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. He had opposed the censure of atomic scientist Dr. Robert Oppenheimer and was supported for public office by Jackie Robinson, the first Black player brought in to play in the major leagues.

Having served as Vice President for eight years, having debated Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow in July 1959, and having former Senator and U.N. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge as his running mate, Richard Nixon's foreign policy bona fides were pretty solid in 1960.

As for 1968, Nixon endorsed LBJ's war in Vietnam, asserting that LBJ's primary mistake was that he lacked a winning strategy. 

The year 1968 had been both dramatic and tragic:

First came the Tet Offensive on January 30th. Next came the re-evaluation of our military and diplomatic strategy, Then there was the Eugene McCarthy near victory over LBJ in New Hampshire. Then Robert Kennedy entered the race. After that, LBJ suddenly withdrew from the consideration for reelection on March 31st. Four days later came the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King followed two months later with the assassination of Robert Kennedy. That was followed by the chaotic Democratic convention and Mayor Richard Dailey's "police riot" against the demonstrators. In addition, there was the unknown factor of Governor George C. Wallace's presidential candidacy. By November, everyone was exhausted.

On November 5th, 1968, in an exceedingly close vote, Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey by 43.4 per cent to 42.7 per cent of the popular vote. Mr. Nixon got 301 electoral votes to Mr. Humphrey's 191.

Meanwhile, the nation was entranced by the flight of Apollo VIII and its Christmas Eve picture of the earth from the vantage point of the moon.

As Richard Nixon delivered his inaugural address, the world was waiting for whatever came next.

I assert that no man in the history of American politics had the chance to alter everything negative ever said, written or cartooned about him than Richard Milhous Nixon on that day 56 years ago.

What's even more interesting is that for the immediate future Richard Nixon was "The New Nixon" largely due to the force and eloquence of that inaugural address. Here are just a few examples of that eloquence:

"The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker. This honor now beckons America — the chance to help lead the world out of the valley of turmoil, and onto that high ground of peace that man has dreamed of since the dawn of civilization. If we succeed, generations to come will say of us now living, that we mastered our moment, that we helped make the world safe for mankind. This is our summons to greatness. I believe that the American people are ready to answer this call....When we listen to “the better angels of our nature,” we find that they celebrate the simple things, the basic things — such as goodness, decency, love, kindness. Greatness comes in simple trappings. The simple things are the ones most now needed today if we are to surmount what divides us and cement what unites us. To lower our voices would be a simple thing. In these difficult years America has suffered from a fever of words, from inflated rhetoric that promises more than it can deliver, from angry rhetoric which fans discontent into hatred, from bombastic rhetoric which postures instead of persuading. We can not learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another; until we speak quietly enough until our words can be heard as well as our voices…I have taken an oath today in the presence of God and my fellow countrymen to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. To that oath I now add this sacred commitment: I shall consecrate my office, my energies, and all the wisdom I can summon, to the cause of peace among the nations..."

Of course, President Nixon fell widely short of his promises and goals of his first inaugural. Had he not made the above pledges, it’s possible he would have been less successful than he ultimately was.

One year from today, which will mark the 56th anniversary of Richard Nixon's original inaugural, a likely re-elected president — hopefully — will strive to renew his reputation and the nation's subsequent expectations, thus ensuring our national well-being!

As for now, our national well-being appears to have been gobbled up by the age of the likely candidates, the self-absorption of the former president, and the conspiracy predictions and theories by the supporters of both candidates.

Tomorrow will house the "then" and it's the “then” that will write our national history! 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY