1. Politics, War, and Watergate
The Nixon Years
Politics, War, and Watergate

2. Democratic Weaknesses
Lessons from ‘Weather Underground’ film:

3. Political Strategies: Campaign Ads?
Blame Dems for war – he’d be more effective at fighting the war
Blame Dems for instability, domestic violence, protests, riots, negatives in Vietnam – provide stability, law and order
Correct mistakes of the past

4. Political Strategies
Appealing to ‘Taxi Driver’ America?

5. Views of City?
Scum
Sewer
Anti-urban
Problems

6. Views on Politics?

7. Views on Politics? Apathetic Angry Frustrated Non-idealistic
Interested himself
Individualistic

8. Views on Power and Justice?

9. Views on Power and Justice?

10. Nixon’s Political Strategies
Kevin Phillips’, ‘Emerging Republican Majority’: Republicans could win (and did) from
Southern Strategy – use “hostility to blacks and browns” as political strategy (like George Wallace)
Get white Catholics, ethnic whites, and white southerners to permanently switch to GOP
Appeal to ‘Silent Majority’ of Americans: patriotic, anti-protester, anti-urban
Law and Order campaign: used images of riots, protests, and fear to sway voters
Silent Majority of Americans were the real victims (of protests, draft, taxes, civil rights, economy)

11. Foreign Policies and Actions
Focus on Big Fish – wanted to open up trade, talks with China and USSR, decrease Cold War tension
Vietnam - Policy of Vietnamization – turn over war to South Vietnamese army
Secrecy - secret bombings of N.V., Cambodia, Laos; secret negotiations w/ N.V.
U.S. detachment from Vietnam conflict – use rhetoric of peace and withdrawal, while continuing bombings to force N.V. to accept split Vietnam
Heightened rhetoric against protesters = protesters were anti-American, helping North Vietnam

12. Vietnamization

13. Secrecy

14. Secret Wars: Cambodia & Laos

15. Vietnam Policies,

16. Watergate Connections to Vietnam War
Nixon’s insecurity and fear of political opposition
Use of FBI to spy on and undermine antiwar and civil rights movements
Political dirty tricks to hurt political rivals
Covered up instead of coming clean

17. Conclusions
Nixon’s foreign policies towards China and USSR were fairly successful, opened up lines of communication
Deceitful policies in Vietnam: rhetoric of peace, while bombing and prolonging war
U.S. involvement in Vietnam War dragged on for 6 more years as he used it as pawn in larger foreign policy
Nixon’s southern strategy and appeals to ‘silent majority’ widened political and social rifts in U.S.
Watergate and corruption further weakened people’s trust in government
Republicans benefited in long run from increasing distrust of government