By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
FEB. 3, 2026 | Something has surprised me.
I’m getting a new appreciation of Richard Nixon, our 37th president.
Way back in the 1950s, for reasons unknown to me, Nixon did something that I cannot remember now that turned me against him. And from then on, it seemed every time he took a stand, said something, or even just appeared in the newsreels of that day, I had a bad taste in my mouth about him.
And then there was Watergate. That did nothing to improve his standing.
Many of my generation remember his “I am not a crook” speech. That didn’t do anything to help. Then after Watergate pressures mounted, he finally resigned his office. For a while, many of us were thinking, “Well, he was man enough to resign the presidency, but only because he was about to be impeached.”
Then with Gerald Ford as president, we were taken aback when he pardoned Nixon, thinking that somehow Nixon got off light. However, over the years it now feels that Ford did the right thing, allowing our nation to move on. In his retirement years in California, Nixon was relatively quiet, until his death in 1994.
Today we are recognizing Nixon in a new light. Bad as we thought he was, he was an upstanding citizen in comparison with the 45th and 47th president of the United States. Nixon worked hard to attain his office, and did it in a respectful manner. In essence, he acted as the gentleman we want as our nation’s leader.
Think about it: what does our nation want in a president?
We want someone who is above the rest of us, a forthright and upstanding citizen. We want someone we can admire, no matter what party, because this person understands and believes the concept of liberty in a constitutional republic.
In short, we want someone we can admire who will uphold the law of the land, and will seek to do the right thing in all of his activities.
We want that person to represent the United States with decorum and dignity.
Looking back at the history of the United States, we remember the many presidents, and in general, most all of them met these criteria. They were people you could admire, and be pleased to meet, or even just to see. These leaders rose to attain the presidency, and maintained it without embarassing us.
Richard Nixon fit that mold. That’s why we have a new appreciation of him. Thank you, Mr. President.
We met and shook hands with Richard Nixon only once, when those of us attending a newspaper convention learned that we were invited to a reception at the White House.
When meeting Nixon, I was startled.
He was short! I was surprised at his height.
I would estimate he was about 5’7”, for I had to look down when shaking hands. (I’m 6’0”). Yet today, I find history lists President Nixon at 5’11”. No way. I know. I saw him, and he was much shorter than I am.
Now readers, especially Republicans: many of you have met President Nixon. Give us your estimate of how tall Richard Nixon was. I am surprised at how history lists his height.
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