Nixon!

[Dr. Medulla]

Watching the final episode, a hodgepodge of things that didn't neatly fit in the other themed episodes. Nixon is so in his element when talking about engaging with the Chinese leadership. Very confident, none of the defensive aggression that he employs on so many other topics. It's so striking and illustrates how much his insecurities and willingness to give into the darker parts of his psyche compromised him.

When he was good, he was very good...

Remove the traumas and insecurities, tho, and maybe he loses what made him so capable. My next tub book is going to be a re-read of Fawn Brodie's psychobiography of the man. I haven't read that since the early 90s, and my recollection is that I wasn't impressed. I'd like to think I have more knowledge and perspective at my disposal now, tho.

[Sparky]

Saw this making the rounds:


Unfortunately, still can't make Nixon look cool:


Ford looks the coolest.

The Nixon one kind of has an Elvis vibe IMO.

I was thinking Al Davis

Or perhaps Nicholas Cage portraying Nixon.

[Dr. Medulla]

From Fawn Brodie's mostly dumb psychobiography of Nixon:

[Silent Majority]

I don't even really understand either of those jokes.

[Dr. Medulla]

I don't even really understand either of those jokes.

Back in the 50s, that was hi-larious! I guess.

[oliver]

I don't even really understand either of those jokes.

Glad it's not just me, then.

[Dr. Medulla]

I don't even really understand either of those jokes.

Glad it's not just me, then.

Neither of you will ever be Ike's goon!

[Dr. Medulla]

A wonderful phrase I encountered in one of the Nixon books I'm reading. An associate referred to the working relationship between Nixon and Haldeman as "darkness reaching out for darkness." (Stone later appropriated and (mis)applied this in his film to Howard Hunt.) Such a powerful phrase that seizes the imagination and does, in fact, capture Nixon's own form of magnetism.

[matedog]

[Dr. Medulla]

I've never seen that before! Pair it with one of his bowling shots and make a statement about … something.

[Kory]

I've never seen that before! Pair it with one of his bowling shots and make a statement about … something.

That he's at least partially human?

[Dr. Medulla]

I've never seen that before! Pair it with one of his bowling shots and make a statement about … something.

That he's at least partially human?

A deeply human person, unfortunately. I finished one of the Nixon books I've been reading and one of the things that I lean to is that, apart from his age, Nixon had the makings of being a punk. Smart, weird kid, awkward, felt unloved, recognized the elites looked down on him. But instead of going in a direction that we'd understand as punk(ish), he desperately wanted to succeed within the system and to make those elites suffer, in the process embracing all the worst instincts we possess. That's one of the reasons, I think, I'm still so fascinated by him. A terrible, horrible, awful, shitty person, but he had the basics for being a good rebel if he'd turned his rage and anxiety in a different direction.

[Kory]

I've never seen that before! Pair it with one of his bowling shots and make a statement about … something.

That he's at least partially human?

A deeply human person, unfortunately. I finished one of the Nixon books I've been reading and one of the things that I lean to is that, apart from his age, Nixon had the makings of being a punk. Smart, weird kid, awkward, felt unloved, recognized the elites looked down on him. But instead of going in a direction that we'd understand as punk(ish), he desperately wanted to succeed within the system and to make those elites suffer, in the process embracing all the worst instincts we possess. That's one of the reasons, I think, I'm still so fascinated by him. A terrible, horrible, awful, shitty person, but he had the basics for being a good rebel if he'd turned his rage and anxiety in a different direction.

A bit nature rather than nurture, do you think?

[Dr. Medulla]

I've never seen that before! Pair it with one of his bowling shots and make a statement about … something.

That he's at least partially human?

A deeply human person, unfortunately. I finished one of the Nixon books I've been reading and one of the things that I lean to is that, apart from his age, Nixon had the makings of being a punk. Smart, weird kid, awkward, felt unloved, recognized the elites looked down on him. But instead of going in a direction that we'd understand as punk(ish), he desperately wanted to succeed within the system and to make those elites suffer, in the process embracing all the worst instincts we possess. That's one of the reasons, I think, I'm still so fascinated by him. A terrible, horrible, awful, shitty person, but he had the basics for being a good rebel if he'd turned his rage and anxiety in a different direction.

A bit nature rather than nurture, do you think?

No idea, really. I'd like to think it's nurture because I want to believe we have more paths open to us when we're born—that things close off with time and experience—but I recognize that's mostly my preferred view of life.

[JennyB]

It's Nessie!