The 65 Best Quotes from Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon He was one of the most controversial presidents of the United States of America, among other things due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal and his participation in coup initiatives in Latin America. His mandate, in the midst of the Cold War, was a reflection of an era characterized by confrontation and constant fear.

Take a look at Richard Nixon’s most memorable quotes It serves to better understand their way of thinking and the social and political climate of a stage in the second half of the 20th century.

Richard Nixon Quotes

Below we will see the most notable quotes from Richard Nixon, which reveal his philosophy and way of doing politics.

1. I have disappointed my friends, I have disappointed my country.

A phrase that suggests to what extent in politics the actions undertaken affect both the public and private spheres.

2. I just want to say one thing; I have won and I have lost, but winning is the most fun.

A look back to value a life marked by access to power.

3. Those who do not take risks will not suffer defeats, however, they will never have victories.

About the need to test yourself and tempt luck to obtain great results.

4. The highest honor that History can bestow on a man is the title of peacemaker.

About the way in which History treats its most outstanding figures.

5. Any nation that decides that the only way to achieve peace is through peaceful methods will soon be part of another nation.

This is one of Richard Nixon’s phrases that express his departure from idealism.

6. Politics is the art of the possible at the service of the people. But I believe that the limits of what is possible can be expanded thanks to effort, intelligence, solidarity and trust.

An enumeration of different personal qualities to which we must add the possibility of practicing politics.

7. I do not have that resignation of my parents and I do not fully participate in this philosophy. But your patience, your courage, your willingness to not let yourself get down, no matter the physical emotional strain, are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And that sustained me, by the way, in difficult times. And it will always support me.

A reflection about a value to claim: effort and the ability to work hard

8. You will not have Nixon to mistreat him anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.

Another of this politician’s statements that reveal the erosion that his credibility suffered after his time as president.

9. We promise to always tell the truth, see things as they are and state them as they are; find the truth, tell the truth and live with the truth.

Highlighting once again how much the value of honesty and transparency in politics is insisted upon, regardless of what is done in practice.

10. Latin America doesn’t matter to anyone.

One of Nixon’s most controversial phrases.

11. What I’m trying to say is that if the President does it, then it’s not illegal.

Clearly showing a double standard of measurement.

12. Certainly, in the next 50 years we will see a woman president, perhaps sooner than you think. 13. A woman can and should be able to hold any type of political position that a man can hold.

Some statements in favor of equality in times marked by clear machismo.

14. A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.

About the importance of not giving up.

15. The people must know if their president is a thief or not.

About the need to maintain credibility.

19. Make the Chilean economy scream.

A phrase related to the government of Salvador Allende

17. A major obstacle in our clean energy program is the fact that we currently cannot burn coal or oil without releasing their sulfur content into the air. We need new technology that makes it possible to remove sulfur before it is emitted into the air.

A reflection on some of the environmental measures to be undertaken.

18. A public man must never forget that he loses his usefulness when he as an individual, instead of his policy, becomes the issue.

About the need to leave personal interests aside.

19. Voters quickly forget what a man says.

About the imperfection of rational analysis of voters.

20. The press is the enemy.

About the power that journalism can accumulate when it comes to monitoring politicians.

21. The longer you stay in this kind of job, the more you realize that a public figure, an important public figure, is a lonely man.

Access to power isolates you from others.

22. You pay the same for doing something halfway as for finishing it. Therefore it is better to finish it.

About the need to complete the projects undertaken.

23. You know, it’s kind of funny: every one of these bastards who want to legalize marijuana is Jewish. What the hell is wrong with these Jews, Bob? I guess most of them are psychiatrists.

A clearly ethnicist comment by Richard Nixon.

24. As this long and difficult war ends, I would like to address a special word to the American people: your continued support for our insistence on peace with honor has made peace with honor possible.

One of President Nixon’s propaganda and patriotic statements.

25. I can see clearly now… that I had been wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate.

An assessment of the case that ended his political life.

26. It is necessary for me to establish an image of a winner. Therefore, I have to beat someone.

A reflection that shows once again the Machiavellian vision that Nixon had about politics.

27. You should follow this Watergate investigation, even if it leads to the presidency. I’m innocent. You have to believe that I am innocent. If you don’t, take my job.

More statements from Nixon about the Watergate scandal.

28. Life is not meant to be easy. It’s hard to accept being at the top – or at the bottom. I guess I’m something of a fatalist.

A sentence about the importance that hierarchical systems had for Nixon

29. I think, to survive some of these things… Life is one crisis after another.

Another look at the life philosophy of this politician.

30. Very rarely can you go in and change the situation if the forces of history are running in another direction.

About the limited power of the individual.

31. Once you get into this great current of history, you can’t get out.

Once again, a comment based on determinism.

32. I do not believe that a leader can control, to a large extent, his destiny.

About free will.

33. Americans admire people who can strip a desert and grow a garden. Israelis have demonstrated qualities that Americans identify with: grit, patriotism, idealism, passion for freedom.

A comment on his vision of Israel.

34. People react to fear, not love.

About human emotionality.

35. If you want to make beautiful music, you have to play playing black and white notes together.

A reflection on the duality of political actions: good for some, bad for others.

36. I reject the cynical view that politics is a dirty business.

About the moral character of politics.

37. Politics would be a good business, if it weren’t for the people.

About the way in which people corrupt ideals

38. Remember: always do your best. Don’t be discouraged. Never be mean.

One of Richard Nixon’s phrases with a clear moralistic character.

39. The government can offer opportunities. But opportunity means nothing if people are not willing to take advantage of it.

Beyond possibilities is action.

40. In the age of television, the fundamental distinction is between the candidate who can speak in poetry and the one who can only speak in prose.

On the importance of the ability to seduce.

41. I have played by the rules of politics as I found them.

Nixon believed that all of a politician’s actions are delimited by the set of norms that govern the context of his actions.

42. Finishing second in the Olympic Games earns silver. Finishing second in politics leads to oblivion.

A comparison that shows the harshness of the world of politics.

43. Watergate had become the center of the media universe.

About what the introduction of a topic on the media agenda can change.

44. Let’s start by committing to the truth, to see things as they are.

Seeing things objectively is also an action with social repercussions.

45. A true politician is always half expecting to be invited to give a speech.

About the way of life of politicians.

46. ​​The Cold War is not melting, but burning with deadly heat. Communism is not sleeping.

Another of Nixon’s phrases linked to the time in which she served as a politician: the Cold War

47. I don’t know anything that builds the will to win better than competitive sports.

Sports competition can be an expression of triumphs in other aspects of life.

48. In the long term, we can hope that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflicts. But history is not encouraging in this sense. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars.

On the role of religion in History.

49. We do not learn by inference and deduction and the application of mathematics to philosophy, but by direct relations and sympathy.

About the importance of emotions in our daily lives, above reason.

50. No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.

Nixon complained about alleged manipulation regarding the Vietnam War.

51. Only if you have been to the deepest valley will you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

About our ability to value success.

52. Never bow your head. Never give up, nor sit down, nor grieve. Find another way.

A motivational phrase about growth in adversity.

53. The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep.

About the need to get out of the comfort zone.

54. What kind of nation will we be, what kind of world will we live in, if we shape the future in the image of our hopes? It is our power to determine it with our actions and our choices.

Beyond ideals, you have to get involved in getting what you want.

55. Do you want to make a comment or want to make a change?

Relieve tension by complaining It can be an excuse to do nothing

56. Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.

A peculiar way of understanding sovereignty.

57. The Kremlin would like nothing more than to have the people of this country elect a second-rate president.

Once again, Nixon Speaks puts the focus on an external enemy when evaluating the internal policy of the United States.

58. We cannot learn from each other until we stop shouting at each other, until we speak softly so that our words can be heard as well as our voices.

About the need for dialogue.

59. If, when things fail, the most powerful nation in the world, the United States of America, acts as a pitiful and helpless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions around the world.

An alarmist statement related to the martial atmosphere of the Cold War.

60. Never let your head hang. Never give up, sit down and cry. She finds another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.

A phrase about resilience

61. Never say no when a customer asks for something, even if it’s the moon. You can always try, and there’s plenty of time afterwards to explain that it wasn’t possible anyway.

A way of seeing relationships marked by transactions.

62. What a strange creature is the man who makes a mistake in his own nest.

Another of Nixon’s phrases about the imperfections of human beings.

63. The two hardest words to say are: “I was wrong.”

About how difficult it is to admit mistakes.

64. Idealism without realism is impotent. Realism without idealism is immoral.

About the dialectic between these two moral principles.

65. Communism denies God, enslaves men and destroys justice.

One of Nixon’s phrases about what was considered “un-American” at that time.