Richard Nixon was one of the most controversial presidents of the United States of America, among other things because of his involvement in the Watergate scandal and his participation in coup initiatives in Latin America. His term in office, at the height of the Cold War, reflected an era characterized by confrontation and constant fear.

Taking a look at Richard Nixon’s most memorable phrases serves to better understand his way of thinking and the social and political climate of a period in the second half of the 20th century.

Phrases of Richard Nixon

Next we will see Richard Nixon’s most outstanding phrases, which give a glimpse of his philosophy and his way of doing politics.

1. I have disappointed my friends, I have disappointed my country.

A phrase that gives a glimpse of the extent to which in politics the actions undertaken affect both the public and private spheres.

2. I just want to say one thing; I’ve won and lost, but winning is the most fun.

A look back at a life marked by access to power.

3. Those who do not take risks will not suffer defeats, however, they will never have victories.

About the need to test oneself and to try one’s luck in getting great results.

4. The highest honor that history can bestow on a man is the title of peacemaker.

About the way history treats its most prominent figures.

5. Any nation that decides that the only way to achieve peace is through peaceful methods will soon be part of another nation.

This is one of Richard Nixon’s phrases expressing his departure from idealism.

6. Politics is the art of the possible in the service of the people. But I believe that the limits of what is possible can be widened through effort, intelligence, solidarity and trust.

A list of different personal qualities to which the possibility of exercising politics must be added.

7. I do not possess that resignation of my parents and I do not fully participate in this philosophy. But their patience, their courage, their willingness not to let themselves be beaten, whatever the physical-emotional tension, is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And that sustained me, by the way, in the difficult moments. And it will sustain me always.

A reflection on a value to be claimed: the effort and capacity to work hard .

8. You won’t have Nixon to abuse anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.

Another of this politician’s statements that reveal the wear and tear on his credibility after his time in office.

9. We promise to always tell the truth, to see things as they are and to tell them as they are; to find the truth, to tell the truth and to live with the truth.

I would like to stress once again how much the value of honesty and transparency in politics is stressed, regardless of what is done in practice.

10. Latin America doesn’t matter to anyone.

One of Nixon’s most controversial phrases.

11. What I’m trying to say is, if the President does it, then it’s not illegal.

Clearly showing a double yardstick.

12. Certainly, in the next 50 years we’re going to see a woman president, maybe sooner than you think. 13. A woman can and should be able to hold any kind of political office that a man can hold.

A few declarations in favour of equality in times marked by clear male chauvinism.

14. A man is not finished when he is defeated. He’s finished when he gives up.

About the importance of not giving up.

15. The people must know if their president is a thief or not.

About the need to maintain credibility.

19. Making the Chilean economy squeal.

A sentence related to the government of Salvador Allende .

17. A major obstacle in our clean energy programme is the fact that we cannot currently burn coal or oil without discharging its sulphur content into the air. We need new technology that makes it possible to remove the sulfur before it is released into the air.

A reflection on some of the environmental measures to be undertaken.

18. A public man must never forget that he loses his usefulness when he as an individual, instead of his politics, becomes the subject.

About the need to put personal interests aside.

19. Voters quickly forget what a man says.

About the imperfection of the rational analysis of the voters.

20. The press is the enemy.

On the power that journalism can accumulate in scrutinizing politicians.

21. The longer you stay in this kind of work, the more you realize that a public figure, an important public figure, is a lonely man.

Access to power isolates you from others.

22. It pays the same to do something halfway as it does to finish it. So it’s better to finish it.

On the need to give a completion to the projects undertaken.

23. You know, it’s funny: Every one of these bastards who want to legalize marijuana is Jewish. What the hell is wrong with these Jews, Bob? I guess most of them are psychiatrists.

A clearly ethnicist commentary by Richard Nixon.

24. As this long and difficult war comes to an end, I would like to say a special word to the American people: their consistent support for our insistence on peace with honor has made peace with honor possible.

One of President Nixon’s propaganda and patriotic statements.

25. I can see clearly now… that I was wrong not to act more decisively and more frankly in dealing with Watergate.

An assessment of the case that ended his political life.

26. It is necessary for me to establish a winning image. Therefore, I have to beat someone.

A reflection that shows once again Nixon’s Machiavellian vision of politics.

27. You must follow this Watergate investigation, even if it leads to the presidency. I’m innocent. You have to believe I’m innocent. If you don’t, take my job.

More statements from Nixon about the Watergate scandal.

28. Life is not meant to be easy. It’s hard to accept being on top – or at the bottom. I guess I’m kind of a fatalist.

A sentence about the importance that hierarchical systems had for Nixon .

29. I think, to survive some of these things… Life is one crisis after another.

Another look at this politician’s philosophy of life.

30. Very rarely can one go in and change the situation if the forces of history are running in another direction.

About the limited power of the individual.

31. Once you get into this great stream of history, you can’t get out.

Again, a commentary based on determinism.

32. I do not believe that a leader can control, to any great extent, his destiny.

About free will.

33. Americans admire people who can scratch a desert and produce a garden. Israelis have demonstrated qualities that Americans identify with: guts, patriotism, idealism, a passion for freedom.

A commentary on his vision of Israel.

34. People react to fear, not love.

About human emotion.

35. If you want to make beautiful music, you have to play the black and white notes together.

A reflection on the duality of political actions: good for some, bad for others.

36. I reject the cynical view that politics is a dirty business.

About the moral character of politics.

37. Politics would be a good business, if it weren’t for the people.

About the way people corrupt ideals .

38. Remember: always give your best. Do not be discouraged. Never be petty.

One of Richard Nixon’s clearly moralistic phrases.

39. The government can offer opportunities. But opportunity means nothing if people are not willing to take it.

Beyond the possibilities is the action.

40. In the age of television, the fundamental distinction is between the candidate who can speak in poetry and the one who can only speak in prose.

On the importance of the capacity of seduction.

41. I played by the rules of politics as I found them.

Nixon believed that all of a politician’s actions are bound by the set of rules that govern the context of his actions.

42. Finishing second in the Olympic Games gets you silver. Finishing second in politics leads to oblivion.

A comparison that shows the harshness of the political world.

43. Watergate had become the center of the media universe.

About what the introduction of an issue into the media agenda can change.

44. Let’s start by committing ourselves to the truth, to see things as they are.

Seeing things objectively is also an action with social repercussions.

45. A real politician is always half expecting to be invited to give a speech.

About the way of life of politicians.

46. The Cold War is not melting, but burning with deadly heat. Communism is not sleeping.

Another of Nixon’s phrases linked to the time in which he exercised as a politician: the Cold War .

47. I know nothing about what builds the will to win better than competitive sports.

Sporting competition can be an expression of success in other aspects of life.

48. In the long term, we can expect that religion will change the nature of man and reduce conflict. But history is not encouraging in this regard. The bloodiest wars in history have been religious wars.

On the role of religion in history.

49. We do not learn by inference and deduction and the application of mathematics to philosophy, but by direct relations and sympathy.

About the importance of emotions in our daily lives, over and above reason.

50. No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and now it’s mismembered.

Nixon complained about alleged manipulation relating to the Vietnam War.

51. Only if you have been in the deepest valley can you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

About our ability to value success.

52. Never bow your head. Never give up, never sit down, never grieve. Find another way.

A motivating phrase about growing up in adversity.

53. The American dream does not reach those who fall asleep.

About the need to get out of the comfort zone.

54. What kind of nation will we be, what kind of world will we live in, if we shape the future in the image of our hopes? It is our power to determine that with our actions and our choices.

Beyond ideals, you have to be involved in getting what you want.

55. Do you want to make a comment or do you want to make a change?

Relieving tension by complaining can be an excuse to do nothing .

56. Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.

A peculiar way of understanding sovereignty.

57. The Kremlin would like nothing better than to have the people of this country elect a second-rate president.

Once again, Nixon Speech puts the spotlight on an external enemy when assessing US domestic policy.

58. We cannot learn from each other until we stop shouting at each other, until we speak quietly so that our words can be heard as well as our voices.

About the need for dialogue.

59. If, when things fail, the most powerful nation in the world, the United States of America, acts like a pitiful and defenseless giant, the forces of totalitarianism and anarchy will threaten free nations and free institutions throughout the world.

An alarmist statement related to the martial atmosphere of the Cold War.

60. Never drop your head. Never give up, sit down and cry. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.

A sentence about resilience .

61. Never say no when a customer asks for something, even if it’s the moon. You can always try, and there is still plenty of time later to explain that it was not possible.

A way to see the relationships marked by transactions.

62. What a strange creature is the man who makes a mistake in his own nest.

Another of Nixon’s phrases about human imperfections.

63. The two hardest words to say are: “I was wrong.”

About how hard it is to admit mistakes.

64. Idealism without realism is powerless. Realism without idealism is immoral.

About the dialectic between these two moral principles.

65. Communism denies God, enslaves men, and destroys justice.

One of Nixon’s phrases about what was then considered “un-American”.