Source: Evan Thomas. Being Nixon: A Man Divided (2015)
On 20 April 1961, President John F. Kennedy summoned former Vice-President and former Presidential candidate Richard Nixon to the White House, seeking his advice on the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Entering the Oval Office, Nixon was shocked to see a "beaten, very wan, tired, harassed" JFK . . . Nixon recalled that JFK said "s@#$" six times while pacing. JFK asked Nixon what he should do; Nixon, and interventionist and internationalist to the core, told JFK that he needed to remove Castro from power in Cuba. JFK was reluctant to directly do so, but a very flattered Nixon told JFK that he would support him no matter what the President decided.
Nixon's passion and devotion to politics was renewed and re-energized by his visit with JFK. Party inspired by something JFK said during the visit, Nixon wrote a book titled Six Crises, in which Nixon was remarkably candid about Alger Hiss, the "Checkers Speech", and his loss to JFK in 1960. Again and again, Nixon struggled with how to reconcile his introverted nature with the necessity of being an extrovert in order to be successful in politics.
Writing the book was mentally and physically taxing, in that Nixon again became worn down and lost 10 pounds. Nixon was living alone in an apartment in Los Angeles, then after a bit he rented a house in order to enhance the writing process . . . while he was writing the book, Nixon was technically working for a law firm, which provided necessary income.
Nixon's passion and devotion to politics was renewed and re-energized by his visit with JFK. Party inspired by something JFK said during the visit, Nixon wrote a book titled Six Crises, in which Nixon was remarkably candid about Alger Hiss, the "Checkers Speech", and his loss to JFK in 1960. Again and again, Nixon struggled with how to reconcile his introverted nature with the necessity of being an extrovert in order to be successful in politics.
Writing the book was mentally and physically taxing, in that Nixon again became worn down and lost 10 pounds. Nixon was living alone in an apartment in Los Angeles, then after a bit he rented a house in order to enhance the writing process . . . while he was writing the book, Nixon was technically working for a law firm, which provided necessary income.
Even though Nixon was an introvert, he still became lonely and bored, in large part because he missed the political arena and the public stage. Soon after the Election of 1960, Nixon decided to run for Governor of California. Even before he announced his intention to run, Nixon was ahead of the incumbent Democratic Governor in the polls. On 25 September 1961, Nixon told his family that he was running; Pat thought it was a colossal mistake, but she promised to campaign by his side as usual.
Nixon was oddly flat while campaigning against a conservative Republican challenger as well as Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, the Governor of California. By the fall of 1962, Nixon was trailing Brown in the polls, and needed a debate against the Governor to try and catch up. On 1 October 1962 in San Francisco, Nixon debated Brown. A question was asked specifically to Nixon that dealt with the behavior of his (idiot) brother, who was trying to cash in on Nixon's celebrity with the "Nixon Burger". Time and again, Nixon was in a no-win situation in terms of the questions he had to answer compared to Brown, who kept getting relatively easier questions.
A Los Angeles Times reporter went after Nixon hard every time he claimed that Brown was soft on Communism. Dick Tuck, the dirty trickster hired by JFK/RFK to harass Nixon during the General Campaign of 1960, was doing so again, this time on behalf of Brown (and indirectly for the Kennedys). After the debate, Nixon knew he was going to lose, in part due to the unfair treatment by the California press, but also due to the Cuban Missile Crisis . . . whatever momentum Nixon had by early-October was halted-or-reversed by Election Day.
Nixon was oddly flat while campaigning against a conservative Republican challenger as well as Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, the Governor of California. By the fall of 1962, Nixon was trailing Brown in the polls, and needed a debate against the Governor to try and catch up. On 1 October 1962 in San Francisco, Nixon debated Brown. A question was asked specifically to Nixon that dealt with the behavior of his (idiot) brother, who was trying to cash in on Nixon's celebrity with the "Nixon Burger". Time and again, Nixon was in a no-win situation in terms of the questions he had to answer compared to Brown, who kept getting relatively easier questions.
A Los Angeles Times reporter went after Nixon hard every time he claimed that Brown was soft on Communism. Dick Tuck, the dirty trickster hired by JFK/RFK to harass Nixon during the General Campaign of 1960, was doing so again, this time on behalf of Brown (and indirectly for the Kennedys). After the debate, Nixon knew he was going to lose, in part due to the unfair treatment by the California press, but also due to the Cuban Missile Crisis . . . whatever momentum Nixon had by early-October was halted-or-reversed by Election Day.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK sent a jet to California to fly Governor Brown to Washington, D.C. to "consult" on the crisis. Doing so was an outrageous political stunt to boost the Democratic Governor in the polls; to Nixon, it was yet another dirty trick he had to add in the already bulging dossier of grudges against the Kennedys.
The morning after he lost the election to Brown, Nixon decided to confront the reporters who had antagonized and mistreated him during the campaign. During what he called his last
press conference, Nixon told the media how much they'll miss not having "Nixon to kick around anymore". The sadness of his loss in California and the aftertaste of the press conference stayed with Nixon for years, according to his daughter, Tricia.
The Establishment press wrote Nixon off for good. ABC aired a show titled "The Political Obituary of Richard Nixon" hosted by Howard K. Smith, featuring Alger Hiss as a special guest. Three months later, Nixon was again audited by the IRS, as he was in 1961 and 1962. Nixon blamed Attorney General Robert Kennedy for the abuse, which meant more items were filed in his Kennedy dirty tricks ledger. Not long after the Assassination of JFK, Nixon decided to move to New York City in order to make a clean break from politics, but still be part of the action.
Nixon joined a reputable law firm (but not one of the city's elite) where he was made a temporary partner; among the partners was Leonard Garment, who would remain connected with Nixon all the way through Watergate and beyond. Nixon learned to appreciate the telephone even more as his favorite method of communication and persuasion; the phone allowed Nixon to concentrate on the words instead of appearances and social niceties/graces.
The morning after he lost the election to Brown, Nixon decided to confront the reporters who had antagonized and mistreated him during the campaign. During what he called his last
press conference, Nixon told the media how much they'll miss not having "Nixon to kick around anymore". The sadness of his loss in California and the aftertaste of the press conference stayed with Nixon for years, according to his daughter, Tricia.
The Establishment press wrote Nixon off for good. ABC aired a show titled "The Political Obituary of Richard Nixon" hosted by Howard K. Smith, featuring Alger Hiss as a special guest. Three months later, Nixon was again audited by the IRS, as he was in 1961 and 1962. Nixon blamed Attorney General Robert Kennedy for the abuse, which meant more items were filed in his Kennedy dirty tricks ledger. Not long after the Assassination of JFK, Nixon decided to move to New York City in order to make a clean break from politics, but still be part of the action.
Nixon joined a reputable law firm (but not one of the city's elite) where he was made a temporary partner; among the partners was Leonard Garment, who would remain connected with Nixon all the way through Watergate and beyond. Nixon learned to appreciate the telephone even more as his favorite method of communication and persuasion; the phone allowed Nixon to concentrate on the words instead of appearances and social niceties/graces.
Nixon and Garment, while not identical in terms of personality, were both curious and restless and enjoyed each other's company. One of Nixon's contributions as a temporary partner was to line up Pepsi as a client for the firm. But Nixon's greatest moment as temporary partner occurred on 27 April 1966, when he argued a First Amendment case in front of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court case was Time, Inc. v. Hill: Time was accused of sensationalizing a home invasion suffered by the Hill family. Nixon delivered an excellent oral argument, but the Supreme Court ruled against Nixon and the firm. Nixon viewed the result as another press conspiracy against him; Nixon told Garment that he never wanted to be reminded of the case.
Nixon believed that he should always look forward, but he constantly dwelled on the wounds from his past.
By 1965, Nixon decided to make another play for President in 1968, and to do so, he needed to get back in the political arena. Nixon campaigned hard for Republican candidates in the Congressional Elections of 1966, and by doing so not only became politically visible again, but also earned many political chits in the process. After Goldwater's disastrous campaign in 1964, Nixon wanted to bring the Republican Party back towards the center. As Nixon campaigned for others, it became clear that he was a hawk in Vietnam, but moderate on social policy. Nixon also accepted the reality of "Big Government", but he wanted to see it trimmed down at least somewhat.
The Supreme Court case was Time, Inc. v. Hill: Time was accused of sensationalizing a home invasion suffered by the Hill family. Nixon delivered an excellent oral argument, but the Supreme Court ruled against Nixon and the firm. Nixon viewed the result as another press conspiracy against him; Nixon told Garment that he never wanted to be reminded of the case.
Nixon believed that he should always look forward, but he constantly dwelled on the wounds from his past.
By 1965, Nixon decided to make another play for President in 1968, and to do so, he needed to get back in the political arena. Nixon campaigned hard for Republican candidates in the Congressional Elections of 1966, and by doing so not only became politically visible again, but also earned many political chits in the process. After Goldwater's disastrous campaign in 1964, Nixon wanted to bring the Republican Party back towards the center. As Nixon campaigned for others, it became clear that he was a hawk in Vietnam, but moderate on social policy. Nixon also accepted the reality of "Big Government", but he wanted to see it trimmed down at least somewhat.
On Election Night, 6 November 1966, the Republicans gained 47 seats in the House, 3 in the Senate, and 8 Governors. Nixon had backed winners in many states, and in almost 80 Congressional districts where he campaigned. On the day before Thanksgiving in 1966, Nixon was told by his fundraiser advisers that it was time to make the move for President (one of Nixon's "Money-Men" was Maurice Stans, who would be significant during Watergate). Nixon was advised that the time was now to head off the Liberal Republican Nelson Rockefeller and the Conservative Republican, Governor Ronald Reagan of California.
But in early-1967, Nixon declared a personal "moratorium" on politics: Nixon didn't travel, make speeches, raise money, woo Republicans, or earn political markers for later use. Nixon's timing was beyond-shrewd, in that 1965 - 1967 featured political anger nationwide in the extreme. The Harris Polling Organization created an "Alienation Index" in order to measure public anger . . . and the results were off-the-charts. Politicians other than Nixon tried to ride the waves of anger without getting rolled, and largely failed while Nixon remained upright offstage.
But in early-1967, Nixon declared a personal "moratorium" on politics: Nixon didn't travel, make speeches, raise money, woo Republicans, or earn political markers for later use. Nixon's timing was beyond-shrewd, in that 1965 - 1967 featured political anger nationwide in the extreme. The Harris Polling Organization created an "Alienation Index" in order to measure public anger . . . and the results were off-the-charts. Politicians other than Nixon tried to ride the waves of anger without getting rolled, and largely failed while Nixon remained upright offstage.
In 1967, Nixon was once again invited to the Bohemian Grove, this time for a de facto audition to prove his Presidential bonafides to the powerful members. On a wall over the bar at one of the many camps at Bohemian Grove was a photograph of Ike surrounded by a group of admirers, while Nixon sat alone (as usual) across the table. But this time, Nixon wasn't a supplicant, but the center-of-attention. Nixon considered his speech in July 1967 to the members at the Bohemian Grove as his best, in large part due to the fact that there was no real media coverage. Nixon's words were a soothing tonic to those in attendance that felt incredibly threatened by the turmoil in America . . . the non-Elite Nixon had won the blessing of some powerful Establishment Elites.
According to Leonard Garment, Nixon's yellow pad was his "best friend" . . . Nixon loved to analysis and strategy. On 22 December 1967, after the traditional Nixon Christmas Party, the yellow pad came out, and Nixon wrote down all the reasons why he should NOT run for President. The ambition was still there, but Nixon feared humiliation, and worse, no future in politics, and therefore no purpose in his life if he ran and lost again. Nixon went to Key Biscayne to spend "quiet time" with his best friend, BeBe Rebozo, and the Reverend Billy Graham was there as well, recovering from a lung infection. Simply put, Nixon viewed himself as a Man of Destiny, despite his faults, at least the ones that he actually acknowledged to himself. Nixon was never much into self-analysis, which Nixon believed was weak and phony . . . Nixon's greatest fear was to be thought of as weak.
According to Leonard Garment, Nixon's yellow pad was his "best friend" . . . Nixon loved to analysis and strategy. On 22 December 1967, after the traditional Nixon Christmas Party, the yellow pad came out, and Nixon wrote down all the reasons why he should NOT run for President. The ambition was still there, but Nixon feared humiliation, and worse, no future in politics, and therefore no purpose in his life if he ran and lost again. Nixon went to Key Biscayne to spend "quiet time" with his best friend, BeBe Rebozo, and the Reverend Billy Graham was there as well, recovering from a lung infection. Simply put, Nixon viewed himself as a Man of Destiny, despite his faults, at least the ones that he actually acknowledged to himself. Nixon was never much into self-analysis, which Nixon believed was weak and phony . . . Nixon's greatest fear was to be thought of as weak.
As Nixon pondered his run for President in 1968, he was drawn to the persona of one of the law firm's partners, John Mitchell. Nixon put Mitchell on a pedestal, believing that Mitchell represented everything he admired in a man (especially compared to the intellectual "Eggheads" and the Georgetown Set). Nixon knew he made a colossal mistake in 1960 when he tried to be his own campaign manager; Nixon asked Garment to see if Mitchell would be interested in running his campaign in 1968. Mitchell told Garment that he was interested, but he wasn't quite what he appeared to be, in that Mitchell had mislead many people concerning his background (e.g. claiming to have known JFK during WW II). Also, Mitchell was married to an unpredictable woman, Martha Mitchell, who was not only a social-and-political liability, but also caused Mitchell to drink more.
Nixon liked to be surrounded by vigorous-and-loyal young men, and his "Body Man" that kept Nixon apart from the rank-and-file, and that charmed those that needed to be charmed was Dwight Chapin. Chapin had the graces of an Ivy Leaguer (he was at USC) without the attitude, and was drawn to Nixon, and was willing to put up with Nixon's rare outbursts and many quirks. Chapin was the extension of the Nixon campaign's Chief-of-Staff, the handsome-and-chilly H.R. Haldeman, whose job was to basically be Nixon's "S.O.B.". As time went on, Haldeman would spend more waking hours with Nixon than anyone else, including his wife Pat.
Haldeman was a Nixon volunteer in 1952, an "Advance Man" in 1956, and by the early-1960s he was in Nixon's "Circle of Trust". Haldeman's right-hand man was John Ehrlichman, who had worked for Nixon as a mole in Nelson Rockefeller's campaign in 1960. Both Haldeman and Ehrlichman were Christian Scientists, and they both brought discipline and a touch of arrogance to the Nixon campaign. With Haldeman and Ehrlichman, the "New Nixon" was a much colder politician . . . but also much "cooler" . . .
Nixon liked to be surrounded by vigorous-and-loyal young men, and his "Body Man" that kept Nixon apart from the rank-and-file, and that charmed those that needed to be charmed was Dwight Chapin. Chapin had the graces of an Ivy Leaguer (he was at USC) without the attitude, and was drawn to Nixon, and was willing to put up with Nixon's rare outbursts and many quirks. Chapin was the extension of the Nixon campaign's Chief-of-Staff, the handsome-and-chilly H.R. Haldeman, whose job was to basically be Nixon's "S.O.B.". As time went on, Haldeman would spend more waking hours with Nixon than anyone else, including his wife Pat.
Haldeman was a Nixon volunteer in 1952, an "Advance Man" in 1956, and by the early-1960s he was in Nixon's "Circle of Trust". Haldeman's right-hand man was John Ehrlichman, who had worked for Nixon as a mole in Nelson Rockefeller's campaign in 1960. Both Haldeman and Ehrlichman were Christian Scientists, and they both brought discipline and a touch of arrogance to the Nixon campaign. With Haldeman and Ehrlichman, the "New Nixon" was a much colder politician . . . but also much "cooler" . . .
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