The ghost of Richard Nixon wants to be President again.
And it is about to be nominated–again–by the Republican party.
For those who didn’t live through 1968, or those who’ve forgotten what it was like, here’s a brief summary:
- America was mired in Vietnam, with more than 500,000 troops fighting or dying to prop up a corrupt regime.
- Antiwar demonstrations shut down college campuses throughout the nation.
- Civil rights activist Martin Luther King and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated.
- Nationwide racial riots broke out in the wake of King’s murder–including in Washington, D.C.
- The Democratic Convention was marred by a brutal crackdown by Chicago police on antiwar protesters.
And offering himself as the country’s savior: Richard M. Nixon, the Republican nominee for President.
But he was careful to limit his appearances to carefully-screened “test audiences”–making it look, in his TV ads, as though he was facing up to tough questions.
And continuing his longstanding feud against the press, Nixon shut out reporters from the inner workings of his campaign.
Above all, Nixon promised a solution to Vietnam. He repeatedly claimed that he had “a plan” to end the war “with peace and honor.” At times he would touch his suit pocket–as though he had a copy of The Plan right there.
But, he added, he couldn’t share that plan until after he became President. After all, the North Vietnamese would be listening in with the American people.
So the nation–by the narrowest of margins–elected Nixon. And four more years of bitter, senseless war followed.
So here it is 2012, and Nixon’s spirit is once again running for President.
Like Nixon, Mitt Romney:
- Has given interviews only in controlled settings–in his case, almost entirely to right-wing Fox News Network.
- Has promised to “restore American greatness”–but has refused to say publicly which government programs he would cut.
- Has refused to say which tax laws he would change–despite the fact that, as a multimillionaire with offshore tax havens, he stands to gain by such changes.
- Has refused to fully answer reporters’ questions about his financial background–such as refusing to release more than two years’ tax returns.
Romney’s penchant for secrecy was most recently demonstrated during his visit to Israel. He barred reporters from a fundraiser at Jerusalem’s King David Hotel and refused to say why.
Romney’s traveling press secretary Rick Gorka, asked to comment, simply said, “Closed press, closed press, closed press,” as he walked down the aisle of the candidate’s campaign plane during the flight from London to Tel Aviv.
It’s hard to imagine a more blatant example of arrogant disrespect for freedom of the press–and the right of Americans to learn the truth about their would-be leaders. Unless you cite Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.
And it offers a dramatic–and useful–insight into the arrogance and secrecy Americans can expect from Romney should he become President.
Planning to raise campaign money while in Israel, Romney was willing to tell his wealthy American supporters abroad what he would not tell voters at home.
Among these is Sheldon Adelson, an international casino magnate, who’s donated millions to a group–Restore Our Future–backing Romney.
By preying on the gambling habits of millions, he has amassed a fortune estimated by Forbes at $24.9 billion. This makes Adelson the eighth richest person in the United States.
Donors at the fundraising event–which was expected to raise more than $1 million–were asked to contribute $50,000 or to raise $100,000.
In fact, Romney has been far more candid with his private donors about what he intends to do as President than he has in his public appearances.
At a fundraiser this spring in Florida, he outlined how he might cut government and which deductions he might eliminate as part of his tax plan. The event was overheard by reporters standing on a public sidewalk.
This harkens back to the administration of George W. Bush–when Vice President Dick Cheney invited oil company lobbyists to rewrite “environmental protection” regulations.
Naturally, the workings of Cheney’s “energy task force” were classified as secret from both the press and public.
In April, 2010, an explosion on a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico sent millions of gallons of oil pouring into the Pacific ocean. It was only then that Americans began to learn the true costs of allowing greed-fueled corporations to “protect” the fragile environment.
Similarly, Romney expects Americans to wholeheartedly trust him to create jobs for millions–while his own experience has been in creating only millions of dollars for himself and other wealthy investors.
Meanwhile, he clearly refuses to trust Americans generally with his plans for “restoring American greatness.”
There is a time-tested recipe for determining when a public figure has forfeited trust: It’s when he refuses to answer hard, specific questions.
There can be times–such as in war–when a public official is justified in telling less than the whole truth.
But, short of such an extreme occasion, the rule stands: Don’t trust anyone who won’t give candid answers to candid questions.
