The sad thing is that as much of a scoundrel as Nixon was, and he was a scoundrel, he would be immensely preferable to the person we have in the White House right now. At least, no one ever questioned Nixon's intellectual capacity. And certain things he did during his presidency were progressive. Still, Nixon's basic character was repellent and you don't have to look just at Watergate to see that. Examine his entire political career. He was a miserable, repugnant person.

He made a better Vice-President. He was nothing but a psuedo-egotist, a paranoid power hungry loser from nowhere who kept an enemy list who should have had his own name on it!

Nixon is on the bottom of this list, and for obvious reasons. However, if you look at his actual presidency and not the scandel around it, Nixon had his high points. The economy was fine and he did what he could with a horribly run war that was handed to him. His foreign relations skills helped relations with China and particularly Russia. If not for the strides Nixon made with Russia in the early seventies, who knows how much more diffcult things would have been years later.

4 dead in Ohio. A Genghis Khan by birth, just ask those bare footed, rice eating fellows, who drove old dixie out.

Man of imperial pretenses. Foreign policies ain't as bad as Reagan/Bush43; domestic issues was 'da same as Carter/Clinton. Probably 'da last moderate/liberal GOP in 'da House.

Four dead in Ohio.

A fatally flawed man, Nixon's evident intelligence was over-shadowed by his merciless ambition. While his presidency was by no means the abject failure of some others who have held the office, his accomplishments, while not insignificant, are overshadowed by his career-long venality.

Americans twice democratically elected one of the great madman of the 20th Century. Hitler and Stalin killed more people, but Nixon and Kissinger were happy killing people everywhere, whether it was on their personal instructions or just a byproduct of `realpolitik.' In Nixon's ideology, like Mao's, the little people must be sacrificed to meet the larger goal of power.

A most unfortunate and sad man. His foreign policy will most likely go down in history as one of the most significant in the 20th century. However, his presidency will be forever marred by the Watergate Incident, and, in retrospect, those tapes, which revealed a terribly paranoid, bigoted individual. He was a very pathetic man, but he did accomplish a lot of good things in foreign policy matters.

When he was leaving Washington, they were so busy rolling up the red-carpet behind him that had he been a half-step behind, they would've rolled him up in it! Watergate hearings made the summer of '74 hot fun in the summertime!

Yes, he screwed up, but he was not a bad president. He would be a 4, but Watergate costs him. A president is rated based on who his advisors are, and he had some of the best (and some of the worst). He opened up trade with China and his presidency will go down in history as one of the greatest ever with foreign affairs. He even began the removal of troops from Vietnam. He deserves a 3.

Nixon's downfall was his ego and private underground that was a world unto itself. However, it is my opinion that the blame for this must lie squarely on the shoulders of the rabid mainstream media. The media had been after Nixon since 1948 when he was associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy. There was however, one huge difference between Nixon and McCarthy - Nixon actually found Communist infiltration in government and several people were brought to justice. Nixon disassociated himself with Senator McCarthy before the blacklisting and Communist guilt by association accusations. The press thought they had Nixon's back to the wall in 1952 but he brought his case to the American people in the famous checkers speech and the public rallyed around him. It has been proven beyond any doubt that he actually won the 1960 presidential election because Kennedy's father, Joseph P Kennedy, purchased dead votes through his mob connections in Chicago. Unlike what we have seen in the past, Nixon was an honorable man and accepted the verdict, choosing not to divide the country and instead called for his supporters to assist the new young president. Nixon, while he was president, made mistakes in office, mostly in domestic policy. His 1971 wage and price controls which was an attempt to get a handle on rising inflation was a failure of grand proportions. On the other hand, he gave us the EPA, which today can be argued that it is a power abusive dinosaur, but it was the first government watchdog group dedicated to improving the enviornment. Unlike Carter who would give away the store, Nixon started talks with long time foe Communist China with a program called ping pong diplomacy which was sending American champion ping pong players to China which opened the door of comminication between the two countries. He also started what was called shuttle diplomacy which was when Henry Kissinger shuttled back and forth between Egypt and Israel to work out a way to eventually bring them to the peace table. The 1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel has falsely been credited to president Carter. It's roots go back to Nixon and shuttle diplomacy but in 1978 Nixon was still a dirty word and the press would not give credit to a man they loathed. Most importantly, even though he was never able to win the war in Viet Nam it was under his watch that the war ended and our POWs were allowed to come home. The Watergate affair was a case of Nixon being loyal to the people who were loyal to him. He had no knowledge of the initial break in but when he discovered that his underlings were responsible he put his presidency on the line to protect them. (Let's face it.... if you screw up at work, do YOU go tell your boss right away? No? Neither did they until things got out of hand. They tried to hide their mistake as any of us would do) As in 1960, he saved the country from further division and embarrassment by resigning in August, 1974. The press was gloating that they had finally, after all this time, got Nixon out of their hair. The Democrats then re wrote many rules and regulation with Nixon in mind, but those same rules and regulations came back to haunt them when Republicans attempted to hold Bill Clinton to those rules. I was pleased when towards the end of his life Nixon came back as a grand old man, a statesman, and was a respected guest on many television interview programs and he was finally able to tell the facts as they were without fear of reprisal. A flawed man? Yes. He constantly had to watch his back as people looking to make a name for themselves would betray him to the press for a mention in a well known column. He was a potentially great man, superb in foreign policy, and respected in every country except his own. Nixon came from a time when deals were made in smoke filled rooms and favors were exchanged. Had he lived in another time he could have been one of our greatest presidents.

racist, self-centered pig

The last liberal in the White House.

He was corrupt, he blew it in Vietnam, he didn't do too well with the economy, but one thing that is good about him is that he provided the Simpsons and Futurama with tons and tons of comedy material! (that's why I am giving him 2 instead of 1)

Fouly corrupt he should have gone to prison.

It's too bad Richard Nixon turned out to be -- Richard Nixon.

Better than W.

a man that thought he was above the law and he hired dumb crooks they got caught

Easily the most under-rated president in U.S. history.Hated by liberals, but at the same time employed somewhat liberal policies in his agenda. Helped foreign relations with CHina. Got us out of Vietnam. THe greatest politician in history, recieving more combined votes through his career than any other person.

Sure, he was caught for Watergate, but other than that he wasn't too bad. He did create the EPA, and he ended Vietnam.

Amazing how one single event(watergate) he didn't have a single thing to do with affects his legacy so much.

I always admired Nixon. His masterstrokes in foreign policy, a honorable peace in Vietnam, Ping-Pong diplomacy, detente in Russia, were commendable. Sadly, his domestic policy and personal issues were a shambles. Whenever I see a 55 MPH speed limit, I always think this is one of Nixon's final legacies. The more I hear about some of his alleged paranoid rantings, the more I want to wish it didn't happen. Nixon is a tough one to pigeonhole.

Still better than McGovern

I really wanted to give Nixon 2.5 stars, but that's not an option, and I just couldn't go 3. I can't believe Nixon ranks below GW Bush in these ratings. Nixon and his administration were corrupt, but they were child's play compared to the current Bush administration. If history has been this unkind to Nixon, GW Bush has nothing to look forward to, unless he is a glutton for punishment. GW Bush will ultimately improve Nixon's reputation and standing in history.

Paranoia?

You bet he got us out of Nam. He said he would, and he did. A lot more than I can say for LBJ. He also saved us from a confrontation with China. I think he cared about the country but not about individual people. He must have had a miserable childhood because he was very, very insecure about who his friends were, let alone his enemies. That kind of paranoia got him embroiled in Watergate. And I believe he knew much more than he let on about it (as opposed to Reagan and Iran/Contra - whom I really believe knew nothing.) Reagan was genuinely honest. You could trust him. I would never have trusted Nixon. One thing, though, that always moved me to tears was his speech at the '68 convention when he told the story of the little boy who laid in bed at night listening to the trains go by and wondering where they were going, etc. etc........, then saying that HE was that little boy, who now stands before you to accept your nomination for President of the United States. Still get goosebumps.

Maybe a little underrated. Got us out of Nam. Overall, corrupt.

I feel very sorry for Nixon as a human being. I think he had a lot of inner suffering and perhaps he felt he had a lot of obstacles to overcome. After the Watergate break-in and its resulting scandal, I recall that it was thought very cool to be a Nixon-hater, but although he did not handle this catastrophe very well, I do not think he was necessarily an evil person. It seems that when he was President he at least tried to do good--he eventually ended the Vietnam War and established relations with China. I know everybody says this, but I think if it weren't for Watergate, he might be remembered as a decent president. UPDATE: I do not think he was an evil man. I think he just had some problems, like possibly an inferiority complex.

I was almost 8 years old when Nixon lost in 1960. I had a strange feeling then that the election was stolen from him. It wasn't until years later that I read (in several sources) of the fraud committed against him in that election, in Illinois and probably Texas as well. When Nixon died, commentators kept referring to him as a good policy man but a bad man personally. I feel the opposite was true. Many of his political moves were much too liberal for me. But if you want to know what kind of person a man really is, look at his family. Nixon had a wonderful supportive wife and his daughters turned out great, and they always looked up to and adored him. An arch-villain could not have produced a loving home like that.

A vulgar and spiteful individual who suffered from paranoia over nearly everything. How remarkable is it that he also was one of the most accomplished leaders of the twentieth century.

If he didn't have the need to do dumb things like the whole Watergate debacle, Richard Nixon might have been one of our best presidents. A very capable leader, He got a lot done, and proved that a republican, conservative can do what's right for the USA, such as the EPA, civil rights legislation, working to end the Vietnam War, and having Elvis in the White House. Seems like he was paranoid & shifty. Its ashame that he didn't channel his energy better.

Mentally troubled, but a MUCH better person and president than ANY of the REPUBLICAN presidents who followed him.

Anyonw willing to cheat to become president is obviously power hungry and therefore dangerous. Also, his nose is too big!

His resignation says it all. He WAS a crook, a powermonger, and a dishonest person.

Unquestionably, Watergate was Richard Nixon's legacy. Let's get 3 things straight: He didn't order the break-in, he wasn't aware of the break-in, and he didn't approve of the break-in. Nixon's downfall was the subsequent cover-up protecting the perpetrators. My hope is for people who are uninformed about Nixon to become aware of these facts, because to this day, numerous people believe Nixon was an evil puppetmaster who orchestrated the Watergate scandal. I know, because I thought this way for many years, thanks to partisan ideologues posing as history teachers. Instead of putting the country through a messy impeachment trial, he resigned. Just as he could've challenged the results of the 1960 election, he refused to pursue such options for the good of the country. Under Nixon's watch, we took steps to remove ourselves from the Vietnam conflict, perhaps not as quickly as many would've liked, but we did so nonetheless and in an honorable fashion. He was the first President to visit Red China and developed a better relationship with them, and we're reaping the benefits to this day, what with China moving away from Communism and toward a market-driven economy. I didn't give him a 5, as his domestic agenda was actually the most liberal of any President of the past 50 years, from price controls to a heavy expansion of LBJ's failed programs.

Nixon was a dishonest power monger that believed the way of the world was to conquer by force. Nixon should have been executed for treason and war crimes. He was a criminal and true believer in world domination through murder for profit. See people who should burn in hell for more information.

Not the best president in the world... in fact, one of the most corrupt. Watergate is enough to knock a couple of stars off, but he didn't do enough to try to save face with Vietnam, as well as other things. Not as bad as partisans will give him credit for.

Nixon obviously screwed up in Watergate, but other than that he did have some good things in his terms. He contributed to detente and recongnized China, lessening the Cold War. He set up the preliminary structure of environmental protections that Bush is ruining today. So if you look a little past Watergate, he was paranoid but did some good stuff.

Much better then dubya.

Watergate was just his highwater mark as a skunk. He got his start as a Red-baiting Cold Warrior who was first elected to Congress as a result of libeling his opponent. Later moved onto being a small time political grafter who got off the hook via his famed Checkers speech. Was very effective, working in concert with other crapbags like Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn, in firing up public hysteria during that ridiculous and totally unnecessary Red Scare of the early 1950s. While VP, he stood around ghoulishly rubbing his hands together in succession anticipation when that other idiot, Ike, had his heart attack. Later as VP, insisted on engaging loudmouth Soviet imbecile N. Krushchev in a shouting match at a 1959 trade fair. The American public was spared this scumbag when Kennedy squeaked through in 1960, yet obviously didn't learn its lesson when it elected him in 1968 and then returned him to office by a resounding landslide in 1972. In this, the American public showed the world what an amalgam of touchholes, pinheads, troglodytes and douchewads it routinely is. While President, this birdbath didn't have a clue how to turn around a persistently sluggish economy, extended the very dubious Viet Nam war into Cambodia and Laos, ordered secret bombing raids over there that resulted in the deaths of countless innocent civilians, demonized those true American patriots who were against the Viet Nam fiasco, gave free reign to master criminal, paranoid snooper, noted drag queen and closet case, the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, and achieved the very dubious accomplishment of opening detente with those vicious Red Chinese bastards. Quite a crappy record prior to that third-class burglary he attempted to cover up.

the embodiement of republicanism

Due to his involvement in Watergate, and the violations of the U. S. Constitution when he was president (i.e. sending in Federal troops during a peace demonstration) would rate him a one, but he also improved relations with China and founded the Environmental Protection Agency.

Strong foreign policy, weak doemstic policy. Paranoid.

a tragedy of shakesperian proportions, done in my his own paranoia.

Nixon was good but had wrong people guiding him.

A man of vision and audacity - he somehow concluded the war in Vietnam and opened relations with China. But also a very dishonest individual who sacrificed others to save his own neck.

I am not a crook. Well, not just a crook anyway, Tricky Dick. You're a liar, too. Taught American children how to lie right into the camera long before Slick Willie. The running mate he selected for his first term and who eventually became our vice-president, Spiro Agnew resigned in shame, but was a logical choice for Tricky Dick. Just think about it... A president who would have been impeached and who resigned in shame, and who had a former vice president who resigned and was ultimately convicted of tax evasion. Shameful, pitiful and disgusting. Easily THE MOST corrupt administration in the history of our country. Makes Slick Willie look like a choirboy. But not to a republican...Nixon's NOW DEFENDED BY THE HYPOCRISY THAT DEFINES THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. Hypocrites...have you no shame?

Nixon is awesome, he has one of the best foreign policies this country has ever seen

A pathetic president and a pathetic man. I can only feel sorry for a man that was idiotic as to try to pull a sham like Watergate.