Richard M. Nixon and the fallacy of Country Over Self with Rick Perlstein

Country Over Self

Originally recorded on 09-26-2024

In this episode, Matt and Rick talk about the 37th President, Richard Milhous Nixon as a case study of why there is no such thing as Country Over Self -- that successful politicians by definition fuse together their electoral success, their view of what's best for America, and therefore their actions while in office.

Rick Perlstein Rick Perlstein is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan; Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America, a New York Times bestseller picked as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by over a dozen publications; and Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus, which won the 2001 Los Angeles Times Book Award for history and appeared on the best books of the year lists of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. His essays and book reviews have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, The Village Voice, and Slate, among others. A contributing editor and board member of In These Times magazine, he lives in Chicago.

00:00 Introduction to Country Over Self

00:57 Discussing Richard Nixon's Legacy

02:06 Exploring the Concept of Country Over Self

03:56 Nixon's Environmental Policies

06:24 Historical Examples of Presidential Decisions

08:34 The Complexity of Political Morality

14:43 Watergate and Its Implications

17:29 The Controversial Pardon of Nixon

23:04 Nixon's Rehabilitation and Legacy

27:37 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook

To learn more about Country Over Self or to check out other episodes head to Countryoverself.com.

If you have an idea for an episode or want to reach Matt directly, please email [email protected] Country Over Self is edited and produced by Culture Collaborative Media.