Book Review: Being Nixon by Evan Thomas

Intelligence is not enough; we must develop character.

Nixon could easily have become one of the greatest American presidents. Even with his tainted legacy, his record is impressive.

Richard Nixon was a man who believed he was destined for greatness. He got married to a woman who believed in his greatness. When he was about to quit, his wife, Pat, often encouraged him to stay on and fight. It was a power couple. Always encouraging each other.

There is no question about the genius of Richard Nixon or his understanding of history, human nature, and power. He was above many in his knowledge. He knew too much and, perhaps, too little. He knew how to navigate global politics. He and Henry Kissinger had the mental courage to dream of a different world.

Yet, this did not give Nixon the moral character to make the right calls in his career. What remains surprising is how Nixon was able to show great moral courage at certain points; for instance, when he was losing the elections to JFK, he could have asked Eisenhower to help but he refused to because he didn't want Eisenhower to suffer anymore- he had a health challenge at this point. In many cases, he would send hopeful messages to candidates who were facing hard times or defeat. In victory, he knows how to be gracious to his opponents. Ironic he does not know how to celebrate victory. The one moment joy and happiness shined through his face was when his daughter married at the white house.

Nixon's tendency to want to control things and people, to control events and shape them in his favor using whatever means ultimately did him in. He surrounded himself with people who could not tell him the truth. It is strange that as far back as those years, Nixon was already behaving like 21st Century idiot who had no space for true tolerance of different opinions. In all his years in the White, he had just two meetings with Congress.

The most profound summary of why Nixon developed to become such a man was the one offered by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a man who knew him nearly more than any other person; Kissinger said, "Can you imagine what this man would have been like if someone had loved him?". No better summary.

Of course, ultimately, Nixon bears responsibility for what went wrong. His indifference, his lack of moral courage, and his lack of courage to confront people even when it became obvious that they were in the wrong were the final harm he did to himself. Watergate happened because a leader failed to do his duty. That's the judgment of history. And it is right.

If you want to understand the nature of power and human nature, or you are curious about Nixon, this should be added to your list.