‘Nixon’ and Nixon

Oliver Stone’s film “Nixon” is an intriguing subcultural interpretation of historical events. Let’s compare the past to the present.

I consider it a badge of honor to be disliked by Hollywood, and the liberal academia and news media. Richard Nixon was hated because he was successful in blocking their agenda for America. The overwhelming defeat of George McGovern in 1972 was particularly painful for them. Who are their demons today?

The elite had a myopic and idealistic view of communism. They were incensed with Nixon’s active work in exposing their darling Alger Hiss as a perjurer and conduit of information for the Soviets. Today, they will question whether Communist China is an evil empire with its killing of orphans.

The film’s recurring scenes of Vietnam and protesters brings to mind this question. What kind of elite thinking got us involved in a no-win war with one hand tied behind our backs? This reminds me of Bosnia.

Finally, I recall the news media’s first-rate investigative reporting of Nixon’s cover-up of a third-rate burglary. Today, after three years, I am still waiting for their work on Bill and Hillary Clinton’s cover-up of Whitewater, Travelgate, Vincent Foster’s suicide and other scandals. Have they become part of the whitewash and cover-up?

GEORGE H. KUBECK

Stanton

Having just seeing the Nixon movie, I can’t imagine what the Richard Nixon library people and his family can find fault with. In the movie with Anthony Hopkins playing him he came off much more sympathetically than the real Nixon ever did in his public life. If there was anything for his supporters to take issue with, it came from Nixon’s own faults and foibles, not nearly painted in the movie as unbecomingly as they might have been.

Having had an instinctive dislike for the man ever since he came upon the national scene, I did not expect to be convinced in favor of Nixon. But with Hopkins playing the role, I found compassion in my heart for him, even in his most shameless moments. Too bad Nixon didn’t have either the integrity or the acting ability of Hopkins. If he had, I would have voted for him every time.

BETTY ZIMMERMAN

Fullerton