Nixon 1974

[steelyman]

I realize this may be too political and moderated (I would not be offended), but I just saw a piece that Richard Nixon announced his resignation today in 1974. I have been reading a book "Watergate" by Fred Emery that is very good.

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelyman Richard Nixon announced his resignation today in 1074.

My goodness, and it only seems like it was 39 years ago

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom My goodness, and it only seems like it was 39 years ago

Ground control to Major Tom: I fixed it, I should stop posting on an iPod!

[timo2]

There are a heck of a lot of people younger than 39 in the country.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timo2 There are a heck of a lot of people younger than 39 in the country.

Sadly, I'm not one of them. I was in high school and watched it with my girlfriend at her parents house.

I'd be interested to hear where other people were (without any political BS).

[timo2]

I was about to start my 4th year of College (took me 5 to finish), and watched it at my parents house. I also had watched about 60% of the Watergate hearings live.

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timo2 I was about to start my 4th year of College (took me 5 to finish), and watched it at my parents house. I also had watched about 60% of the Watergate hearings live.

They made us go to civics class and the teacher's job was really easy: they just turned on Watergate.

[samclem]

I was in 6th grade during the hearings, the teacher would turn it on in the afternoons. It went well over our heads.

The breakin and Nixon's actions seem quaint viewed from where we are. "You call this a scandal? It was about what? That was it?! "

[steelyman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem I was in 6th grade during the hearings, the teacher would turn it on in the afternoons. It went well over our heads. The breakin and Nixon's actions seem quaint viewed from where we are. "You call this a scandal? It was about what? That was it?! "

Be careful. I am apparently older than you.

I just remember looking at the girls legs in class.

[scrabbler1]

I was between the 5th and 6th grades in 1974 when Nixon resigned. I remember watching him on TV make his brief resignation speech.

[clifp]

This date and Watergate are super memorable for me. I was going into my Junior year in high school and had watched a fair amount of coverage on TV.

My parents and I were going to Washington DC that summer. We met with our Congressman Carlos Moorhead, who knew my grandfather. My family was always politically pretty active and part of the reason for going to DC was to talk to the Congressman about getting a nomination for the Naval and Air Force academy. Congressman Moorehead, a freshman Republican served on House Judicial committee and voted initially against the impeachment. He sat in his office and explained to my parents, life long Republicans, while he had changed his mind and voted this time to impeach President Nixon. (He did later nominate me to both academies, which I should add were way easier to get into in the mid 70s than now.)

Later that day we went to the Senate, and heard Senator Edward Brooke, a black Republican senator from Massachusetts (go figure!) introduce a resolution to impeach Richard Nixon. My father who spent a couple of years lobbying in Sacramento was flabbergasted. He said I seen a lot of state assembly and senate session and you never anything of importance introduced. It didn't strike me as that big a deal, because there were not many senators on the floor and the talk of impeachment was common on TV. But it actually was important, Senator Brooke was the first Republican to advocate for Nixon impeachment and resignation.

The next day we took a White House tour, none of us had gone before but my dad thought the tour guides were pretty subdued. The next day we would figure out why.
The next day was Aug 8 and Richard Nixon resigned, and we all agreed that our White House tours tickets signed by Richard Nixon were historically significant. I am not looking forward to going through my mom's stuff when she passes, but this is one thing I do hope to find.

[MichaelB]

I was in college. Didn't watch the hearings, but we did discuss them in many of my classes.

[Walt34]

I was in my 2nd year of my job that I stayed with for 29 years and living with a roommate in a house, a hard-core staunch Republican. I found his perspectives puzzling but it didn't really bother me since I didn't care that much anyway being far more interested in other things, like beer and young ladies.

[obgyn65]

I was 9 years old then and living in a different continent. I don't remember a single thing about the Nixon saga.

[jollystomper]

I was going into my senior year of high school. I wasn't into politics but I did follow the whole Watergate saga so his resignation wasn't a surprise to my 16 year old mind. I just remember the amount of pessimism that existed at that time regarding the economy - one reason, having lived through it, that tough economic times don't frighten me.

[Brett_Cameron]

between 1st and second years of college. I thought it was sad but was glad they had a replacement VP to take charge. Spiro Agnew had previously resigned the VP because of an indictment or conviction for corruption when he was governor of Maryland.

[pb4uski]

I was between my freshman and sophomore years in college. I recall watching some of the hearings but I'm not sure I really understood it all.

With the benefit of time, I think it was politically courageous/selfless of President Ford to pardon President Nixon so the country could move on and not get mired in subsequent hearings/trials. He paid the price for that decision in the 1976 election. I wish today's politicians had 1/10th of that courage. President Ford was definitely a hero IMO.

[steelyman]

These are interesting replies! Check out that book I mentioned if you're at all interested in that kind of thing. It was the basis for a BBC mini-series.

[Idnar7]

I had just driven to my college class when this came on the radio. I sat in my car and listened. When it was over I got out of my car and noticed someone else doing the same. It was the professor of the class I was attending. We both agreed it was a memorable day and one we would long remember.

[FinanceDude]

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