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

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 podcast@countryoverself.com Country Over Self is edited and produced by Culture Collaborative Media.