Welcome Back, Old Friend? The Nixon Re-evaluation
Looks like we’ve circled back to an old classic, like a vinyl record skipping on a familiar, slightly unsettling groove. You know the one: the declaration ‘I am not a crook’ [6], a phrase President Richard Nixon uttered on November 17, 1973 [7]. At the time, there was an understanding that the truth was likely the opposite of what was said [6]. Yet, here we are, facing a moment where some might genuinely ponder a reevaluation of him and his legacy [3]. It makes you wonder if our collective memory has decided to take a long, luxurious nap.
Nixon understood that the public had a legitimate expectation, a need for reassurance, when he made that statement [5]. But the irony wasn’t lost on anyone, including legendary journalist Hunter S. Thompson, whose obituary for Nixon used the very phrase, ‘Also not a crook’ [2]. It appears we’ve entered a phase where even this deeply entrenched bit of historical irony is up for debate.
From ‘Not a Crook’ to ‘Greatest President’?
It gets even wilder. Cast your mind back to 1973, the very year Nixon made his famous declaration. Believe it or not, a prediction was made that in 2023, Richard Nixon would be remembered as the greatest president [1]. Yes, you read that right. The greatest. It’s like predicting in 1973 that disco would be the pinnacle of musical achievement for all time. Did anyone actually think that back then? [1] And yet, the idea that Nixon might be remembered as anything but, well, a president who declared he was not a crook, signals a curious shift.
The Historical Remix Button
Why does history get remixed like this? Sometimes it’s a genuine academic reevaluation [3]. Other times, it feels like a collective amnesia, a comfortable forgetting of inconvenient truths. The reappearance of phrases like ‘not a crook’ [2] in different contexts reminds us that historical narratives are constantly being shaped and reshaped. It’s a bit like finding an old family photo album, only to discover someone has drawn mustaches on half the portraits. Who did it? And why? That’s the question we should be asking.
So, while some might stumble upon the idea of Nixon as ‘not a crook’ [2] or even the greatest president [1], it’s worth remembering that history isn’t just a collection of facts; it’s a conversation. And sometimes, that conversation gets a little… loud. Stay curious, folks, and keep an eye on those historical remixes.
Sources & Footnotes
- https://paleofuture.com/blog/2023/2/9/1973-prediction-nixon-will-be-remembered-in-2023-as-greatest-president ↩
- https://www.willmackintosh.org/blog/history-is-rhyming/ ↩
- https://api.gmm-tv.com/Resources/E1E921/316684/NixonIAmNotACrookSpeechTranscript.pdf ↩
- https://nypost.com/2007/10/14/they-are-not-a-crook/ ↩
- https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/impeachable-offense-and-modern-presidency ↩
- https://www.americanheritage.com/ii-final-act ↩
- https://www.quora.com/Did-Richard-Nixon-ever-lie-when-he-was-president ↩
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