Politics

After All This Time, Nixon Remains Memorable

Published

8 years ago

August 9, 2016

Yesterday marked the day that Richard Nixon stepped down as President of the United States, forty-two years ago.
After the Watergate scandal, it didn't take long for the President to realize his time had come.
Yet, he showed great courage and humility by admitting his wrongs and letting someone else take the reigns.

Yesterday marked a very historic day for our country. August 8th, 1974 was the day that Richard Nixon resigned from the Presidency, in light of the Watergate scandal.

Forty-two years ago, we said goodbye to a President, who was proven to be guilty in a massive scandal.

When Nixon resigned it was a massive televised event. He announced his resignation and said that the Vice President, Gerald Ford, would be sworn in as active President the following day at noon.

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In the address, Nixon said, “I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as president, I must put the interest of America first. America needs a full-time president and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad.”

The scandal itself began on June 17th, 1972, after five men broke into the Democratic National Convention headquarters at the Watergate office in Washington, D.C. Of course, in the beginning, Nixon, and his administration denied any involvement in the break-in and quickly tried to cover up the incident. Yet, Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward discovered the truth. One of the five men that were arrested was on the payroll of Nixon's reelection committee.

To end his famous speech, Nixon said, “To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every American. In leaving it, I do so with this prayer: May God’s grace be with you in all the days ahead.”

You know, you have to give him some credit. He swallowed his pride, in a weird way admitted he was wrong, and stepped down from office. The way politics are today, I'm not sure if anyone of the numerous Presidential candidates we have at the moment would do that. It takes a great leader to admit that he is not fit to lead.