Richard M. Nixon

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Cocktail Coup

Created

June 15, 2026June 16, 2026

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Richard M. Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was probably the best president of the 20th Century and for good reason. However, if you ask anyone that knows little about him, 100% of the time if you ask about Nixon they will say “Watergate”. They really cannot tell you what Watergate is, who conducted it, or why it’s a big deal, but they will only remember that Nixon resigned over it never knowing his other many accomplishments. He was far from perfect. No person, much less president ever is.

First human on the moon
Ended Vietnam War
Took USA off the Gold Standard
Opened Relations with China
Opened Relations with USSR

Watergate Short Story: The Watergate Hotel in Washington DC was the headquarters of the Democratic Party. Nixon was a member of the opposition Republican Party. The CIA wanted to stage an internal exercise (as it typically does) to prove they can infiltrate any government agency, even their own. And yes, it was and still is illegal. Nixon had no knowledge of it, and while many might not believe that, do more research and you will find there was no logical reason for Nixon to spy on the Democratic Party since he had already won is 2nd term as US President. There is no motive other than they were spying on him. The loose cannon of the CIA was G. Gordon Liddy. He was an egoist and wanted to prove he could pull off the Watergate break in and possibly get the job as top dog from Nixon. The break in was botched, it was poorly done, and carried out by amateurs. Nixon did not find out about it until it became news from 2 Washington Post reporters. The media always hated Nixon because he was not a Kennedy. JFK and Nixon were actually friendly and respected each other though they were adversaries. Take a look at every president after Nixon and Watergate seems like a footnote about misconduct at a children’s playground in comparison.

Nixon loved to drink, he loved Tiki cocktails and expensive wine. Often he would have expensive wine poured for himself, while serving guests a different inferior wine from what looked like the same bottle earning him the nickname “Tricky Dick”. He was not flawless but he is not nearly as flawed as media bias would have you believe.

One great story is about how he would slip out of the White House late at night and go to the Trader Vic’s in Washington to vent to the bartender and drink a Navy Grog. He liked his Chinese food, and strong Polynesian drinks. Garret Richard actually made a drink in his honor called “Nixon’s Grog“.