The man I loved to hate resigned on this date in 1974. Nixon’s resignation speech was characteristically weaselly: he sounded like a Prime Minister who lost a vote of confidence. Sort of like Giulio Andreotti on steroids or something.
The truly remarkable and revealing speech came on his last morning as President, August 9th. His farewell address to his staff and cabinet was one of the rawest and most emotional speeches ever given by an American President. And since it was Tricky Dick, it was one of the weirdest. Here it is as broadcast by CBS news and covered by Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather:
“Line ‘Em Up,” James Taylor:
Thanks for posting…yeah, I guess I like an epic train wreck as much as anyone.
Have never seen the whole speech, but have read that Dick made no mention whatsoever of the Missus. Not even a-respectable-Republican-cloth-coat, much less a good-lord-how-did-she-put-up-with-the-like-of-me-for-all-those-years…
As to that question, my guess is Valium and booze.
I was traveling with my parents, and we listened on the car radio. The streets were deserted entirely because everyone was watching it on tv. It was eerie.