Source: John A. Farrell. Richard Nixon - The Life (2017)
After his euphoria of being accepted to Duke Law School (he was able to get out of his home town, Whittier CA), Nixon worked incredibly hard and graduated third in his class. Nixon applied to Wall Street firms, but he struck out, as well as with the FBI, so he had to slink back to Whittier. Nixon was again Mr. Nobody from Nowhere, and it absolutely galled him. After landing a position in a local law firm, Nixon basically messed up a case, and as a result the firm was liable for thousands of dollars. Then Nixon failed in a citrus venture, and creditors hounded him as a result.
In those days before World War II, about the only thing that went Nixon’s way was that he married Pat Ryan; she saw Nixon as a Man of Destiny. During 1941, Nixon went to Washington, D.C. and worked in the Office of Price Administration (OPA), and soon he felt very out of place with the Eastern Elites. After Pearl Harbor, Nixon recognized his duty and enlisted, wanting to experience excitement. It was the U.S. Navy in which Nixon joined, and he was assigned a desk job in Ottumwa, Iowa; Nixon didn’t waste time lobbying for a combat assignment.
Nixon was granted his wish and he was sent to the South Pacific where he supervised a combat air transport team that moved supplies to the front and the wounded-in-action to the rear. Nixon wrote to Pat saying that he was safe in a nicely equipped/fortified bunker when the Japanese bombed or shelled his position, and he also wrote that he had plenty of down time to fill.
In those days before World War II, about the only thing that went Nixon’s way was that he married Pat Ryan; she saw Nixon as a Man of Destiny. During 1941, Nixon went to Washington, D.C. and worked in the Office of Price Administration (OPA), and soon he felt very out of place with the Eastern Elites. After Pearl Harbor, Nixon recognized his duty and enlisted, wanting to experience excitement. It was the U.S. Navy in which Nixon joined, and he was assigned a desk job in Ottumwa, Iowa; Nixon didn’t waste time lobbying for a combat assignment.
Nixon was granted his wish and he was sent to the South Pacific where he supervised a combat air transport team that moved supplies to the front and the wounded-in-action to the rear. Nixon wrote to Pat saying that he was safe in a nicely equipped/fortified bunker when the Japanese bombed or shelled his position, and he also wrote that he had plenty of down time to fill.
Nixon came to hate the wastefulness and disorder of war, as well as the hypocrisy of people. Nixon learned to cuss and play cards, and after the war, his winnings plus what he and Pat had saved amounted to around $10,000 (approximately $138k in 2017). Nixon’s time in the South Pacific was over in 14 months, and he was with Pat in New York City on 14 August 1945 when he heard of Japan’s surrender, and they joined over two million revelers in Times Square. Nixon didn’t realize it at the time, but WW II had given him a sense of mission and purpose, and entering politics was on his mind.
However, nobody outside of Whittier knew who in the world Nixon was, and by his own admission, he was “somebody who was nothing”. Another obstacle for entering politics was the Nixon didn’t have the ability to charm people, and charming others became an absolute act of will. A large reason why Nixon lacked charm was that he had a hard life growing up under his father and losing two family members, and a fuse of resentment (and insecurity) was lit that would never be extinguished for the rest of Nixon’s life.
Nixon didn’t have any connections or money to run for a Congress representing the 12th District in CA, but he had Herman Perry. Perry was the vice-president and branch manager of the Bank of America in Whittier, and it was Perry who wanted Nixon to challenge the popular Democratic incumbent Jerry Voorhis. Perry’s political ambitions never materialized, so he viewed Nixon as his “political son” that would achieve his ambitions through Nixon.
However, nobody outside of Whittier knew who in the world Nixon was, and by his own admission, he was “somebody who was nothing”. Another obstacle for entering politics was the Nixon didn’t have the ability to charm people, and charming others became an absolute act of will. A large reason why Nixon lacked charm was that he had a hard life growing up under his father and losing two family members, and a fuse of resentment (and insecurity) was lit that would never be extinguished for the rest of Nixon’s life.
Nixon didn’t have any connections or money to run for a Congress representing the 12th District in CA, but he had Herman Perry. Perry was the vice-president and branch manager of the Bank of America in Whittier, and it was Perry who wanted Nixon to challenge the popular Democratic incumbent Jerry Voorhis. Perry’s political ambitions never materialized, so he viewed Nixon as his “political son” that would achieve his ambitions through Nixon.
Perry had been asked by a friend in the petroleum industry if he would join a group whose mission was to defeat Voorhis. In CA, the booming petroleum industry was seen as nefarious, so the idea was that Perry would be the respected front man. Perry was soon convinced that if the group found the right candidate, Voorhis could be defeated. To that group, Voorhis was a Socialist, a FDR New Dealer who had done much to restrict the oil industry. Voorhis had also irked the district’s conservatives over his terms in Congress, favoring labor unions and government regulation. During the Great Depression and World War II, the 12th District’s conservatives kept silent, but they were ready to be heard by 1946.
Perry had known Nixon’s father since the early-1900s, and he was convinced that his son Richard had what it took to defeat Voorhis. Perry made it clear to the group that far more money would need to be spent in 1946 than in 1944, and he received a grudging affirmative response. While in the Navy in the South Pacific, Nixon crossed paths with the “Boy Governor” of Minnesota, Harold Stassen, who had resigned his governorship to serve. Stassen told Nixon that there would be a seachange in the “political weather” in America after WW II . . . so for Nixon to run for Congress in 1946, it would be a risk, not folly.
Perry had known Nixon’s father since the early-1900s, and he was convinced that his son Richard had what it took to defeat Voorhis. Perry made it clear to the group that far more money would need to be spent in 1946 than in 1944, and he received a grudging affirmative response. While in the Navy in the South Pacific, Nixon crossed paths with the “Boy Governor” of Minnesota, Harold Stassen, who had resigned his governorship to serve. Stassen told Nixon that there would be a seachange in the “political weather” in America after WW II . . . so for Nixon to run for Congress in 1946, it would be a risk, not folly.
But in early-1946, Nixon didn’t have a job, or a home, and Pat was expecting, but the did have $10k saved. Nixon figured that if he tried but lost, his name would at least be known in Southern California, and he would use that name-recognition as leverage to gain a legal position of prestige in California. Once Nixon accepted Perry’s offer, he had to meet with Perry’s group (by then they had called themselves “The Amateurs”), and then survive a primary. Nixon promised the group that he would “tear Voorhis to pieces”.
The Republican Elders of the 12th District just didn’t believe a former Navy lieutenant could prevail against Rep. Jerry Voorhis. So, if Voorhis were to lose, the effort would have to be made outside the normal California Republican Party apparatus. The 12th District was the largest and most rural district in Los Angeles County, but in the western section closest to LA, suburbs were rapidly growing (e.g. Alhambra and South Pasadena). Overall, the 12th District, and most of Southern California, was growing more-and-more conservative after the war.
The Republican Elders of the 12th District just didn’t believe a former Navy lieutenant could prevail against Rep. Jerry Voorhis. So, if Voorhis were to lose, the effort would have to be made outside the normal California Republican Party apparatus. The 12th District was the largest and most rural district in Los Angeles County, but in the western section closest to LA, suburbs were rapidly growing (e.g. Alhambra and South Pasadena). Overall, the 12th District, and most of Southern California, was growing more-and-more conservative after the war.
The Amateurs considered and interviewed others, but when the dust settled, the only man left standing was Perry’s man, Richard Nixon. When Nixon finally spoke to all the Amateurs, he nailed his audition, and most in the group believed they had a winner on their hands, a potential political thoroughbred that could go far. After the “money situation” (campaign finances) was settled, Nixon told the Amateurs “I am in your hands”.
Nixon was now ready to run in the primary, and now he had money and connections that he hadn’t had before. Nixon told his supporters that in DC, the “Left Wingers” (pro-New Deal Democrats) were “wild” about Voorhis, and even though Voorhis was nothing close to a Communist or a Communist dupe, Nixon planned on portraying him that way. This was Nixon’s chance to be someone, to excise the hurt, to stake his claim, to be somebody of consequence. Nixon’s plan revealed his hunger to win, and also his default setting for shenanigans, in that he planned on getting spies into the Voorhis campaign.
Nixon was now ready to run in the primary, and now he had money and connections that he hadn’t had before. Nixon told his supporters that in DC, the “Left Wingers” (pro-New Deal Democrats) were “wild” about Voorhis, and even though Voorhis was nothing close to a Communist or a Communist dupe, Nixon planned on portraying him that way. This was Nixon’s chance to be someone, to excise the hurt, to stake his claim, to be somebody of consequence. Nixon’s plan revealed his hunger to win, and also his default setting for shenanigans, in that he planned on getting spies into the Voorhis campaign.