Nixon had a rough childhood, poor and wretched. Some people would say “I don’t want anyone to go through that” and become a liberal. Some people say ” it’s okay with me if others suffer so I won’t” and that’s a modern Republican. Some people say “There will be suffering and I’m the one dishing it out!” and that’s Nixon. — commentor WereBear
Also most of the people around Nixon, and quite a few of those voting for him, in my experience. He may have been America’s foremost exemplar of Faulkner’s “The past is never dead; it’s not even past”.
Since at least four dozen people spoke up in favor of Nixonland, that will be our first “book group” selection. The fact that author Rick Perlstein volunteered to “participate in some way” would be a contributing factor, if that weren’t more likely to give some members of this anarchic blogmune a severe case of the shys than to encourage them.
So, Amazon has to ship me the copy I’ll order right after this. And I’ve got to stock up on my blood pressure medication, and dig out my copies of Unbought & Unbossed (Shirley Chisholm), Nixon Agonistes(Garry Wills), and Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 (Hunter S. Thompson). I’m planning on tackling NIXONLAND a chapter or two at a time, since that seems to work for other book groups on other blogs.
How about we all plan to start the first discussion sometime Sunday afternoon / evening, January 30?
Any other suggestions gratefully accepted…