Nixon Really Hated the Press, Ivy League Presidents

2008_12_nixon12.jpg

One hundred ninety-eight hours of President Richard Nixon's recordings were released by the Nixon Library yesterday, as well as 90,000 pages of documents. The recordings are all from November and December 1972, after his re-election. And, as MSNBC's First Read puts it, Nixon is as "ruthless, cynical" and "profane" as ever!

-- On April 4, 1972, Nixon discusses the press with Haldeman:

NIXON: “Return the calls to those poor dumb bastards ... who I know are our friends. Now do it ... We made the same mistake [Dwight] Eisenhower made, but not as bad as Eisenhower made, because he sucked the Times too much ... G-d damn it, don't talk to them for a while. Will you enforce that now?'
HALDEMAN: "I'll try."

-- On May 18, 1972, Nixon talks to Henry Kissinger about the National Security Adviser's meeting with Ivy League college presidents regarding the war in Vietnam:

NIXON: "The Ivy League presidents? Why, I'll never let those sons-of-b------ in the White House again. Never, never, never. They're finished. The Ivy League schools are finished ... Henry, I would never have had them in. Don't do that again ... They came out against us when it was tough ... Don't ever go to an Ivy League school again, ever. Never, never, never."

In documents, Nixon aide H.R. Haldeman reminds himself to take action against someone believed to be Ted Kennedy: "Get him -- compromising situation . . . Get evidence -- use another Dem as front."

Email This Entry


Comments (13) [rss]

I think nixon had an understandable chip on his shoulder about the elite who dominated the capital by birth and not the same grit and determination that he did.

He fought his way, tooth and nail, to the top. I can only imagine being constantly reminded that he didn't fit in wore on him after awhile.

Though his alcoholism certainly didn't help his paranoia and rage towards these people.

And let's not forget that he was an Ivy Leaguer himself.

Nixon was one of the most complex presidents in history, people should remember that.

But the press are such lovable, virtuous, generous, wholesome, warm and fuzzy, pillars of integrity, salt-of-the-earth type people.

How could anyone possibly hate them?


user-pic

Yes, he was a loony, but compared to our current lame duck, he did achieve goals. In terms of foreign policy, he made some important progress for us. Yes, he was a domestic train-wreck, but at least he wasn't a source of shame for us when it came to foreign affairs.

nixon was accepted by both harvard and yale, but his family did not have enough money to matriculate.

^oh that's right. yeah that would piss me off too.

"Nixon was one of the most complex presidents in history, people should remember that."

Better to remember your beloved 'complex president' as a muthafukin lowlife who resigned to avoid impeachment.

BTW, the guy's dead so you can pull your nose out of his dead azz already.

Excellent contribution to the discussion Future Taliban.

Oh and really cool name dude. And v for vendetta? Totally awesome. We should hang out in the quad and smoke some doobies and listen to rage one of these days.

I think he was a troll Matty...or seriously unhinged. One of the two. Anywho, yes, Nixon was incredibly complex and interesting. Farther left than many of the Democrats are today.
At university I was made to feel as if i should hate the man, but I could never really bring myself to do it.

I think he was a troll Matty...or seriously unhinged. One of the two.

Why can't he be both?

I didn't have much respect for Nixon. I was rooting for McGovern in 72. But for all his flaws, Nixon was only the second most dysfunctional person holding that office in recent decades. I think I'd rather have a grumpy paranoid than a cheerful delusional megalomaniac.

Nixon went from a statesman to pariah in short time. Considering what's coming out the archives he should be bumped to senior statesman status.

perhaps it was Nixon bombing Cambodia back to the stone age, and not informing Congress, and incidentally setting the table for the Khmer Rouge to sit down and eat, that made him hated so much.
Nixon..much worse than W.

Nixon was the best, wasn't he? In the same 10 minutes, he could greet returning Vietnam War vets at the White House with all the graciousness and bonhomie of a Martha Stewart Christmas Special and then get on the phone and slur about "those Goddamned journalists". Nixon was a Roman Emperor. GW is just a piece of shit who found a lamp and rubbed it.

"nixon was accepted by both harvard and yale, but his family did not have enough money to matriculate."


And he lost to one of the Ivy Leaguey-est (yes, Ivy Leaguey-est) Presidents ever in what was probably the shadiest election before 2000.

(Gore and the Dems have nothing on Nixon's 1960 loss... Florida and Bush's bro might had something going, but compared to the Chicago political machine in 1960? yeah.)

While I acknowledge he was crazy paranoid, I guess I'm saying I can understand some of it.

Post a comment (Comment Policy)

Tips

Get your daily dose of New York first thing in the morning from our weekday newsletter, now in beta.

About Gothamist

Gothamist is a website about New York. More

Editor: Jen Chung
Publisher: Jake Dobkin

Newsmap

newsmap.jpg

Contribute

Latest Tip:

Jake you're doing so much better at the Extra Extras. Keep it up!
[more]

Latest Photo:

Subscribe

Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.

All Our RSS

Follow us