“Why were Republicans willing to stand up to Nixon unlike today?”
There were multiple reasons why Republican leaders were willing to stand up to Nixon in ways that Republican leaders won’t now:
The political realignment of the parties was still in flux. You could find a lot more conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans back in the 1970s. Nixon had started the Southern Strategy but it would take a couple more decades to truly finish shaking out. He could not get all factions to be loyal under his banner.
More Republican leaders stood on principle, putting country above party. This wasn’t just a matter of intraparty factions squabbling. There was a desire to see our public principles upheld and to stamp out visible corruption. We need more politicians like them in both parties, but they mostly seem to be Democrats now.
Public thuggish behavior was less acceptable in government. Nixon made many of his own enemies by his strongarm tactics. Modern Republican leaders learned at his knee, so to speak.
Evidence mattered. ‘Nuf said.
The modern Republican Party routinely says they are the party of Lincoln, but the way they behave? They are the party of Nixon, only with more lies and coverups. I wish they still had principles like they did in the early 1970s.
Read other answers by Jacob Sommer on Quora:
- What is your analysis of the US Presidential political debate 9/26/2016?
- Why is Jimmy Fallon taking so much heat for having Donald Trump on as a guest?
- Is the main reason why Republicans oppose free healthcare because the cost will disproportionately fall on the rich?
from Quora http://ift.tt/2lBDiAr
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