The Campaign of Richard Nixon Research Assignment Paper

The Campaign of Richard Nixon
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The Campaign of Richard Nixon
Introduction
Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California in 1913. Introverts often find it hard to cope or excel in politics because it is universally believed to be the extroverts’ field. However, Nixon’s dared to dream and challenged the status quo and in 1969 to 1974 he served as the 37th president of the United States of America (Black, 2008). Before his stint as the president, Nixon had worked hard to build his reputation in the political arena and to fight the prevalence of extroverts in the field. His journey to becoming president was not easy but seemed assured from his previous wins. On his first political campaign in 1946, Nixon was successful in his bid for the United States Congress. Four years later in 1950, he run another successful senatorial campaign and then followed it with two successful vice president campaigns in 1952 and 1956. To Nixon and his Republican supporters, the sky seemed like the limit until the 1960 presidential elections. John F. Kennedy handed Nixon his first loss in the political arena and two years later, his second loss came when he failed to clinch the California gubernatorial seat (Ambrose, 1988). Ambrose explains that it was widely propagated that Nixon’s insalubrious appearance in the country’s first presidential debate to be televised led to his loss to Kennedy and after his 1962 loss, the media labeled him “loser.”
After his two losses, the universal expectation was that his political career was over. However, an intelligent and success hungry Nixon took a break and moved to New York where he practiced law. Having tasted politics and the four wins in a row, it was difficult for him to ignore the voices that asked him to make a return to politics. He then began remaking himself and preparing himself for the ultimate goal of becoming president of the US.
The US in the 1960s
The onset of the 60s brought about hope and the expectation of change in the American people. First of all, John F. Kennedy won the elections, and as a young charismatic and aggressive leader, hope was indeed restored for the American people. Kennedy offered something unique and chose to ride on a wave that few had dared to do in the past. He made people believe in the government and the idea that the government had the answers to almost all of the economic, political, civil, as well as social issues that plagued the country at the time. In the eyes of the Americans, he was their political savior, and his domestic agenda seemed genius. The 60s were supposed to be the golden age of the United States, but by 1969, the country was almost breaking apart.
Nixon’s Journey to Presidency
As the country was plunged into a bleak and blurred future in the 60s, Nixon was rebuilding himself and preparing for a comeback. He dared to defy the political gods that had contributed to his two losses and cast him as a loser in the political arena. While serving in Congress and as a senator, Nixon build the image of a strong conservative as well as a strong anti-communist, and this made i...