Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon in 1963
36th President of the United States
Incumbent Assumed Office: January 20, 1961
Vice President	John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	Estes Kefauver
United States Senator from California
In office December 1, 1950 – January 1, 1961
Preceded by	Sheridan Downey
Succeeded by	Thomas Kuchel
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 12th district
In office January 3, 1947 – November 30, 1950
Preceded by	Jerry Voorhis
Succeeded by	Patrick J. Hillings
Personal details
Native Name	Richard Milhous Nixon
Date of Birth	9 January 1913
Place of Birth	Yorba Linda, California, United States of America
Age at start	49 years old
Nationality	American
Role	Starting head of state
Political Party	Republican-Democratic Coalition (RDC) (Republican faction)
Ideology	Silent Conservatism

Richard Milhous Nixon (Born 9, January 1913) is a Republican politician and the 36th and starting president of the United States of America in The New Order.

In-Game Description

Richard Milhous Nixon is a complicated figure. Originally a Representative, and then Senator from California, he rapidly rose through the ranks of Congress through skilled political maneuvering. During his time as a Senator, Nixon worked closely with Joe McCarthy in carrying out the Grey Scare, working to root out suspected fascists in government. And while he didn't share the spotlight to the same extent as McCarthy did, nobody doubts that Nixon is still an anti-fascist crusader through and through.

A lifelong member of the Republican Party, Nixon has never been totally comfortable working alongside the Democrats. The broad popularity of the National Progressive Pact dictates that they must, however, and the coalition ticket that won him the 1960 election has made his presidency a living hell. John F. Kennedy's position as the Vice President has driven a wedge in the Executive Branch, as his own magnetic charisma and stunning competence have taken the spotlight away from Nixon more than once.

As much as Nixon wants to focus on foreign policy, so he can act to undermine the unstable German and Japanese empires, domestic affairs have gotten in the way. Civil rights issues can no longer be ignored, as racial tensions flare and people demand action, one way or another. While Nixon has been reluctant to endorse either segregation or integration, staying on the fence is becoming increasingly costly.

Of course, Nixon is also doing what he can to keep the NPP down, including some... extralegal means. With challengers coming at him from all sides, including within the White House, Nixon will have a hell of a time trying to keep the ship of state steady.

Biography

Early Life & Career

Richard Milhous Nixon was born on January 9th, 1913 on his family's lemon ranch in Yorba Linda, California. Nixon's early life was marked by hardship. At a young age with his father's lemon business going under in 1922 and then losing his younger brother to illness in 1925, he suffered from a nasty case of pneumonia as a young child. However, things started to look up for Nixon in his teens when he joined Fullerton Union High School's debate and basketball teams, however, his older brother, Harold, developed tuberculosis that would later kill him a couple of years later. In 1928, Nixon began his political career on a bad note when he lost the election for student body president. Nixon graduated high school third in his class in 1930 and was offered a tuition grant to attend the prestigious Harvard University.

Nixon's 1946 congressional campaign flyer

Nixon, however, turned it down to instead attend the local Whittier College, so he could more easily attend college while helping out at his father's grocery store. After finishing his Bachelor summa cum laude in 1934, Nixon was accepted into Duke University School of Law. After finishing Law School and passing the bar in 1937 Nixon began practicing law in Whittier, California where he met his future wife Pat. In January 1942, Nixon moved to Washington D.C. to work under the Officer of Price Administration. Nixon, however, did not enjoy working there so he joined the Navy and was made an officer in the Naval Reserve, serving between 1942 and 1946. In 1946, Nixon was convinced by a family friend to run in California's 12th congressional district election on the Republican ticket.

Road to the Presidency

Nixon (back row, far right) and John F. Kennedy (second from the right) participate in a radio broadcast as 1947 freshmen House members.

After being elected as the Representative for California's 12th district in 1946 and 1948, Nixon would go on to be elected as a Senator from California in 1950. Nixon would remain as a Senator until 1961, when he resigned his Senate seat to assume the Presidency. During his time as Senator, Nixon would work closely with fellow Republican senator Joe McCarthy in his Grey Scare to root out suspected Fascists within the US federal government. Nixon's role in the Grey Scare would give him a reputation as an anti-fascist crusader.

1960 presidential election results

In 1960, Nixon was convinced by the Republican party leadership to run for the Presidency under the Republican-Democratic Coalition (RDC) alongside Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy. The ticket would be the first time two candidates on the same ticket were from opposing parties since Republican president Abraham Lincoln ran with Andrew Johnson, a Democrat in 1864. The Nixon-Kennedy ticket would defeat the National Progressive Pact (NPP) ticket, consisting of Henry M. Jackson and J. William Fulbright, in a landslide. Nixon would win 424 electoral votes and 58.5% of the national popular vote. Nixon's landslide victory was aided by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who would help the Nixon campaign wiretap the NPP, blackmail influential opponents, and steal files from the NPP; actions that would help Nixon tarnish the NPP's national image.