What a gracious victory speech. After losing in 1960, again in 1962, and not participating in 1964, Nixon knew what it was like to feel utterly rejected. His comment "winning's a lot more fun," was not rubbing it in Humphrey's face, but reflecting on how much sweeter winning feels after you've taken a few blows.
Nixon actually seemed like an overall nice person... I wasn't born until 7 years after his 2nd victory (I was born in 1979)... My Mom said Nixon was bad but these videos show me a nice, humorous, considerate person...
@@jamellfoster6029 It's debatable if he'd get assassinated in Texas. Only God knows who actually killed Kennedy and why, and if they'd kill Nixon if he were POTUS.
In spite of Watergate, Richard Nixon was a good & effective President. Had'nt been for "Watergate ", Nixon would have been rated one of the best or near best Presidents, I was a kid when he was still President. One of my favorites.
I mean he let the Vietnam war last 5 years longer even though Johnson had peace talk arrangements with the north Vietnamese ready, he caused stagflation and the economy to stall throughout the ‘70’s, and illegally bombed Cambodia and then of course, watergate. Wasn’t really that good.
I'm curious what you thought his bug accompanies were? Making Abraham Lincoln spin in his grave by institutionalizing racism into the Republican party for the next 65 years perhaps?
@joepoop4000 you are ignoring many facts. 1. Vietnam was Johnsons mess. 2. He beat the Soviets in relations to China. Had it been the other way around, America would have been in bad shape. 3. America's economy was doing well during his term. 4..Nixon did so well, he won 49 out of 50 states. 5. Nixon, Clinton, and Jefferson are probably the 3 smartest men to ever hold the office. 6. He was probably one of the best foreign policy statesmen of all time. So much so, Clinton called on his aid in dealing with Russia. 7. He helped end the cold war AND predicted the despot that is Vladimir Putin. You may not like him but these are facts.
Julie's loyalty to her Father never wavered and Watergate was a tempest in a tea cup...yes, his enemies and a palace coup forced President Nixon to resign but for me I know it to be a grave injustice...I find no fault with this man. He was a great American...
The one place that even his detractors can't take from Nixon, is that he was great on foreign policy. He was a great statesman, brilliant & shrewd politician.
@@fshoaps Okay, maybe an overstatement, but his negotiation prowess was so strong, he almost negotiated a victory. Well it looked like he almost negotiated a win.
What stood out to me was that when President Nixon mentioned Vice President Humphrey or Presidents Johnson's names in his speech, the Nixon supporters did not have a round of boos or vulgar comments for Humphrey or Johnson. Fifty years out, one would not see that respect at a concession or acceptance speech gathering by a candidate’s supporters. A different Republican and Democratic party in 1968. I do not know what we have now in terms of political parties. I am totally disgusted with both. As Americans, we deserve better!
Nixon had a friendship with HHH. Compare this to the way he talks about McGovern on election night in 1972, he refuses to say his name, and even talks to HHH about it.
He was a brilliant man and I always got the impression that he really did care about the "forgotten man." One scene I remember from the American Experience documentary. He was campaigning in some midwestern town in 1971 - before the Oval Office meeting that started Watergate. A middle-aged lady shouted at him "You're great!" and he reached and grabbed her hand and said with a big smile, "So are you!"
Whatever about his actions or personality or policies his life was interesting; I don't know of any other person to lose one of the closest presidential elections in history then win one of the closest ones in history and then win in one of the biggest landslides in the history of US presidential elections.
Sioraf asNaCillini that's because it reflects how he was as president and man. Quite a contrast of shadows and light. He certainly did good things during his first term, but sadly did other things very, very wrong. Also, don't forget that according to many sources, he might have actually won the 1960 election, so in fact Nixon is probably the only person ever elected three times other than FDR.
A gracious speech, the likes of which has not been heard in some time. That said, there was no such sign suggesting "Bring us Together." Nixon used this line in most of his campaigns. The sign-holder was his magic friend.
I think Nixon is one of the most under-appreciated presidents in history. He faced massive resistance from the communists over the Vietnam War and Watergate stained his reputation. I don't believe we should have pulled out of Vietnam, but LBJ had messed us up so badly there that we had no will to win. Given that we weren't going to win, pulling out may have been the right choice. As for Watergate, I don't think Nixon started it. He may have covered it up to some degree, but that is almost inconsequential when you consider what so many others did. LBJ was a racist, Carter destroyed our foreign policy and weakened our nation, Clinton had the affair with Lewinsky, and Obama was involved in the Fast and Furious scandal and abandoned our men in Benghazi. So yes, Nixon actually was a pretty good president.
I respect Nixon because he had to walk through the fires while still on this Earth. Although he made a mistake, he had to face the public in a way many other politicians never had to, and still don’t. Their corruption is absolved, often with help from the very same media that pursued Nixon. Nixon was a real one, and he has the respect of countless millions for the rest of all time because of that. That’s a lot more than I can say about the Clinton and Biden crime families.
You can tell that's the happiest moment of his life. He had achieve his purpose, his life long ambition. Sadly he would become synonym with presidential failure in the next few years.
TravelinBand747 True. He could have been a less insecure man, and not break the law to try and stop his "enemies" (in his head)...But then he wouldn't have been Richard Nixon.
i've always felt that Gerald Ford should have been selected as his Vice President running mate in 1968 instead of Spiro Agnew. i still believe Nixon would have won by a landslide in 1968 and 1972 with Gerald Ford as his Vice President.
Spiro Agnew's charges and big embarrassing trouble he caused the Administration quickly marred Nixon's 2nd term not just Watergate. The other choice i would have tried is Ronald Reagan.
But Gerald Ford was a very good humble God fearing Christian Family man and the best Republican choice to be Vice President at the time. It is unfortunate Ford was put off until the Autumn 1973 when was finally selected as Vice President
Selecting Spiro Agnew as his running mate enabled Richard Nixon to check off two boxes: a VP nominee from a border state and one who was tough on law-and-order issues.
Richard Nixon was actually a nice person from what these videos depict... I wasn't born until a few years after he left office (I'm 43 & was born in 1979), but these videos paint a different, less biased portrait of Mr. Nixon than my 71 year old Mom who typically votes straight Democrat... Thanks for this amazing video...
a lot of that old media guard still around still despise him and are hell bent on ruining his legacy. he wasn't a perfect man, but who is. If you wanted to know how life was during the Nixon years, just take the Trump years because the media unfairness and disdain for Trump was about the same as it was against Nixon. And I'm not a Trump worshipper or supporter saying this. Just calling it like I saw it during Trumps' term. Say whatever you want about Trump, hate or like, one thing everyone agrees on is Trump wasn't given a fair shot by the media even before he took the oath.
I also think that Richard Nixon was a nicer and more considerate man than what got stuck in our minds due to Watergate and his paranoia when dealing with political opponents. He was a complex man but he had a much softer side than I originally expected. I mean, just look at his two daughters who both seem to be very nice ladies. Yes, Pat Nixon was a charming lady, but I think that producing two very nice children is a testament to both parents. And seeing how bitterly Richard Nixon wept during the funeral of Pat, his soft side becomes very apparent. Also his farewell speech in the White House was remarkably emotional and moving. He was a sensitive man, with insecurities that led to wrong judgment and also to a sometimes alienating impression among other people (Nixon was notoriously bad at small talk, for example). But I must say that I greatly misjudged what a brilliant political mind Nixon was, especially in terms of foreign policy - and adding to that, that at the end of the day, he was a human being, too.
@@Great2C True. I was born in the 1970s but during the Carter Administration but the Nixon I saw in his later years was a very loving Dad & Grandpa (his grandkids are around my age)...
Thanks to LBJ, in May 1968, the North Vietnamese agreed to meet in Paris with the United States and South Vietnamese representatives. Nixon himself had tried to sabotage the peace talks. Through Anna Chennault, a prominent Republican he encouraged the South Vietnamese to stall until after the 1968 presidential election. Public disclosure of Nixon’s actions would have led to a different election outcome.
Nixon was one of the best foreign policy presidents we ever had. Even after he left office, his advice on foreign affairs was highly sought by all people. Trumps only foreign policy accomplishment and Obama’s to was eating at the international house of pancakes
Far more was lost, rather than gained, by Nixon's forced resignation. (Since then, more than one far less competent president or presidential candidate got away with far worse, and served the country far less ably.) The three greatest messes he inherited as president were Vietnam, Soviet aggression, and the growing Chinese threat as a recently-equipped nuclear power. He ended Vietnam. ended the draft (a '68 campaign promise), established relations with China, and made an arms limitation agreement with the USSR and personally addressed the Soviet nation via television. Despite his alleged failings (which were never tried in a court of law-- impeachment is a political process) who has done more?
Not a fan of his polices, but compared to politics to day...I'd take a Nixon. He was at least real and smart...even when wrong. Now days Obama seems to have no values..right or wrong. Seems to just be serving power...the Pentagon, Wall Street, and Mega Crops
Contrast Nixon's discussion of his interaction with Humphrey and his remarks to Humphrey supporters Trump's childishness in 2020 and insurrectionist actions in 2021. Nixon's approach is democracy in action.
