In the first article that I read, written by D Burch from the Harvard Crimson web site, it obvious that their stance on Nixon and Watergate were that of defense; defending Nixon’s actions. It is obvious to me that they were in support of his choices and condoned most of his actions. They did report that the editorial staff called for his impeachment but it was reluctant at best. Basically they said that his office of President was hard and that he had done many a great thing prior to this scandal including honorably ending US involvement in war, bringing home our warriors and POW’s from Southeast Asia, establishing a new candor in relations with the Soviet Union, among others (Burch, 1974). The second article on the other hand was more of …show more content…
First, many American citizens lost faith and confidence in their elected leaders. This was not the first scandal of mistrust but it was the biggest known to date. Watergate also paved the way for new laws to change campaign financing. Another byproduct of Watergate would be the negativity directed to those in the legal profession, as many of Nixon’s aides and Nixon himself were lawyers. Another thing that Watergate help cause was that Congress became far less passive in its tactics regarding cooperation with the Presidency. This also changed the way that the press as whole covered Presidents. There was more skepticism and conspiracy written into articles about the office after Watergate. For example, take the coverage on Bill Clinton’s infidelity, aptly known as “Zippergate” (Zippergate, N.D.), and the sheer volume of reports on the event in the media. Can you imagine if Watergate had happened in the modern era of the internet, social media, and smart phones? WOW! I would imagine that Watergate would have rocked the Nation, no the World at a much great pace during a time of instant news gratification through the internet. I would also think that all of the secrecy that happened during Watergate would not have existed as there really is no such thing as privacy anymore. I would have to think that it would be handled similarly to what is currently going on with Hillary Clinton
In the 1970’s, America not only witnessed the worst political scandal of the twentieth century, but also one of the most successful acts of investigative journalism to ever be done in America. The Watergate Scandal included a series of illegal activities initiated by members of President Nixon’s administration, the most significant crime being the break in and wiretapping of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972. CREEP (Committee to Reelect the President) funded these illegal projects by hiring people like the White House Plumbers to carry on missions to stop the leaking of classified information. The Watergate Scandal’s origins lay in the Fielding and DNC Headquarter’s break in, then the illegal activities were uncovered
Richard Nixon's first term as president will always be connected with the Watergate scandal, the biggest political scandal in United States history. Various illegal activities were conducted including burglary, wire tapping, violations of campaign financing laws, sabotage, and attempted use of government agencies to harm political opponents to help Richard Nixon win reelection in the 1972 presidential elections. There were about 40 people charged with crimes related to the scandal. Most of them were convicted by juries or pleaded guilty. Watergate involved more high-level government officials than any previous scandal. It has been etched in the minds of millions and is still being recalled today when faced with the present day scandal of
Nixon’s presidency—a period wrought with scandal. The most well-known of these, Watergate, a complex web of deceit, has become a political term synonymous with corruption and crime. Afraid of possible defeat in the 1972 election, Nixon and his republican associates sanctioned underhanded, illegal, acts, namely a break-in at the Democratic Party national headquarters at the Watergate complex. The break-in failed and the story was revealed to the public, despite the Nixon administration’s attempts to cover up the scandal. As a result of their insistence on covering up the infamous event, the leadership of the United States was sent spiraling into a mess of treachery and dishonesty, threatening both the nation’s stability and future.
The Watergate Scandal was truly the biggest political scandal in United States History. Over forty people where charged with crimes relating to the scandal. Bernstein and Woodward were given a fantastic oppourtunity to uncover something truly significant in history. The twenty-one months of investigative reporting done by these two men would ruin Nixon’s name and make these two common everyday reporters lives change forever. Woodward first got his life changing call on June 17th 1972 with his editor telling him about a small invasion of the Democratic Party Headquarters. With being related to the scandal, two members of President Nixon’s cabinet, H.R. Hadlemen and John Ehrlichman, quickly resigned. When first thought of the president even having something to do with the Watergate Scandal, he made every effort to possibly hide this career ruining event. The break in was first found by a security guard by the name of, Frank Wills. Wills saw a piece of tape covering a broken lock. Wills was
As a nation, America has seen its fair share of corrupt executive administrations. Whether it be the Whiskey Ring scandal under President Grant or the Teapot Dome scandal under President Harding, Americans are no strangers to scandal. However, Watergate is different. In June of 1972, five men (revealed to be working for CREEP) were arrested in the Watergate apartment complex after a bungled effort to plant “bugs” in the Democratic Party headquarters. While Nixon denied any accusations of his involvement, it was soon revealed in subpoenaed tapes from the Oval Office that not only did Nixon know about the break-in, he endorsed it.
When you look at Watergate, in itself, it is proof of the constant flexibility of our liberal democracy in the United States. The Watergate investigations without a doubt were influenced by political favoritism and the quest of self-glorification by some of the Nixon’s enemies. Despite this and maybe because of it, depending on how you want to look at it, Watergate remains a prime example of the ability of American citizens as a whole to adjust and evolve. They can force demands for greater individual freedom and stricter standards of conduct for government officials and public
Based on the two articles the Watergate events changed American views towards politics and politicians. One way that I view the differences is that
Richard M. Nixon was a former vice president who barely won the election in 1968 against Hubert Humphrey for the Republican party. Once in his presidency, President Nixon pleased and displeased citizens in the United States. He was not necessarily the most liked president, but he was not the most disliked either. By 1972, it was time for the
Richard Nixon's presidency is one of the most examined, analyzed and discussed, yet least understood, of all the American administrations in history. While many factors still remain to be discovered, and many mysteries are left to be resolved, we need to do the best that we can to make sense of this secretive president of our past and his era. He is the one American figure about whom very few people don't have strong feelings for. Nixon is loved and hated, honored and mocked . The term 'Watergate', labeled by Congress in 1974, stands for not only the burglary, but also for the numerous instances of officially sanctioned criminal activity and abuses of power as well as the obstruction of justice that preceded the actual break-in.
Watergate is the popular name for the political scandal and constitutional crisis that began with the arrest of five burglars who broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office in Washington D.C. on the night of June 17, 1972. It ended with the resignation of president Richard M. Nixon. The burglars and two co-potters-G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt were indicated on charges of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping. Four monthes later, they were convicted and sentenced to prison terms by District Court Judge John J. Sirica, who was convicted that pertinent details had not been unveiled during the trial and proffered leniency in exchange for further information. As it
Watergate involved more high-level government officials than any previous scandal. It led to the conviction of former Attorney General
As time progressed and the investigation began to uncover the truth about what transpired at the Watergate apartment complex several things became evident: most of the burglars were ex-CIA and ex-FBI personnel, the burglars were paid with money directly from the re-election campaign and President Nixon not only knew about and sanctioned the break-in but deliberately attempted to cover it up. When called before Congress to testify about his knowledge, White House staffer John Dean testified that Nixon and his aides attempted to “stonewall” the investigation. As Congress continued its inquiry, it became clear
The term “Watergate” has become a common household name in correlation with people's thoughts about corruption in government. President Nixon was in office at the time of this scandal and is often thought to be the most famous face in America's conspiracy of wickedness in the government. The Watergate scandal had rocked everything our country thought we knew about the American Presidency because it had forfeited the common vision of the leader of the nation. Watergate had replaced the image of elegance and worldliness of the U.S. President with a scattered vision of corruption and extreme competitive measures that the country had never been a part of. Richard Nixon and his men had taken
investigation by Congress, Nixon was committing illegal acts other than that of burglary. It was
The Watergate Affair, is the worst political scandal in U.S. history. It led to the resignation of the president, Richard M. Nixon, after he became implicated in an attempt to cover up the scandal. "The Watergate Affair" refers to the break-in and electronic bugging