Flags were at half-staff during Nixon's inauguration on Jan. 20, 1973 due to the death of Harry Truman on Dec. 26, 1972

[Celerity]

https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/21/archives/nixon-inaugura-ted-for-his-second-term-sees-world-on-threshold-of-a.html

https://archive.ph/rTYBr

[malaise]

1. To be kind

Fuck the CONvictedfelon

[PlanetBev]

2. And LBJ died on January 22, 1973

So the flags remained down for another thirty days.

[question everything]

24. I remember thinking that had he not withdrew and won re-election, this would have been the end of his terms

[LeftInTX]

3. It was a different time. Nixon himself wasn't into flag symbolism the way maggots are.

Flags 1/2 staff didn't bother him. He had won an reelection by a predictable landslide and was pretty much busy with second term. The inauguration was pretty much a formality. Also Truman wasn't truly mourned either. Truman was pretty seen as mediocre. I don't remember his death. Everyone's TV was glued to Nixon's troop withdrawal, address which also occurred in January! I remember exactly where i was during that address. I was at my friend's house.

Also, the inauguration was held while everyone was at work and school. Only housewives could watch it. The oath was shown on the evening news, but that was about all we saw. It wasn't rerun because no one had cable news.

[Wifes husband]

4. Truman

Truman was mediocre.

In comparison to FDR, anyone would look mediocre, but he was a dud in his own right.

[dsc]

7. Hardly

He single handedly desegregated the military which helped the modern Civil Rights movement immensely. The Marshall Plan revived Western Europe and saved democracy for hundreds of millions of people. South Korea is free and prosperous today thanks to his involvement in the Korean War. He wasn't perfect but he was vastly better than mediocre.

[Wifes husband]

14. Point well taken

I am ashamed to say I forgot about the desegregation and the Marshall plan.

Don't entirely agree about Korea. His failure to maintain the military readiness after WW2 lead to the problems in the first year. Took too long to fire MacArthur too. The intervention in Korea took guts, so I agree mediocre is too strong.

Still, he was an obnoxious blowhard. Did not like the guy. Damn sure a lot better than what we have now. At least he wasn't stupid and nuts

[ITAL]

15. Historians typically rank him in the top fifteen

Obviously we all have our different rankings, but he's usually not thought of as mediocre.

[tanyev]

6. Also, for all of Nixon's faults, he wasn't an off the charts malignant narcissist

with the emotional maturity of a teething toddler who hasn’t slept in 18 hours.



Not to my knowledge, anyway.

[mwmisses4289]

9. Nixon looks more like a Sunday school teacher

compared to it.

[Wifes husband]

10. Nixon

Not excusing his crimes, but I believe that Nixon mostly believed he was doing the right thing. He just believed that the ends justified the means. Also, just basically a dishonest man.

He simply believed that Democrats were just not qualified to govern. A lot of Republicans felt that way then and now. Regan damned sure believed that.

All that said, still better than what we have now. He had rational and consistent( but mostly wrong) world view, and was not just plain nuts

[Marthe48]

25. I bet roger stone

Whispered bs into nixon's ear about Dems. He was influencing pols then, and unfortunately, still.

[COL Mustard]

18. The thing that's ironic to me is that

Nixon won by such a landslide in '72...he didn't have to do the whole Watergate thing. Imagine how different (for good or for bad) things would've been if he hadn't orchestrated that scheme.

[Jacson6]

5. I Remember Truman's funeral.

I came home from elementary school and my mom was watching it on TV. She really liked Truman.

[Iggo]

8. Nixon had no problem honoring a deceased former president.

Because he was a grown up.

See how low the bar is, Donnie? All you have to do is act like a grown up.

[rsdsharp]

13. Even one quoted as saying, "Nixon's a goddamned shifty eyed liar, and everybody knows it."

[Kid Berwyn]

11. Nixon did not demand worship.

Big diff from Puppet of Putin.

[speak easy]

19. Nixon, for all his faults was an American President.

Trump has never been an American President. He is a president for/of Trump and Trump alone.

[doc03]

12. I sugest leaving them at half staff but

upside down for Trump.

[Paladin]

16. trump makes Nixon look good, by comparison. (nt)

[kkmarie]

17. Flags at half staff

Weren't a good omen for Nixon's presidency. So maybe....just maybe.

[orleans]

22. it's a sign! donnie's presidency: d.o.a. b/c he'll always be a loser, moron, & douche w/a little mushroom between his

legs!

[bucolic_frolic]

27. We can hope

and this is quite an amazing coincidence.

[LisaM]

23. Yes. Maybe in August of 2026...

And maybe Vance will pull an Agnew, too. Which wouldn't surprise me in the least.

[malaise]

28. Great post

Rec

[GiqueCee]

20. I read years ago...

... that Truman's middle initial did not stand for a name, and therefore, had no period after it. I do not recall the specifics of that compromise.

[LeftInTX]

21. That happened to my dad. He thought he had a middle name, then when he needed a birth certificate, it was an initial!

His parents were immigrants.

[Deuxcents]

29. I worked with a guy who did not have a middle name. He used the letter O and initialed "GOD" and he loved it!

He was quite the nonconformist but really intelligent. He came to work one day with a bandanna as a headband and looked like Cochise. The Foreman was not amused

[andym]

26. Nixon would surely be envious of how Trump gets away with his crimes

Just think that Nixon kept his enemies' list secret, while Trump campaigned on punishing his named enemies among other things.

Trump is a convicted felon, and his campaign and associated PACs used dirty tricks just as dirty as Nixon. Nixon got in trouble as much for the coverup, while Trump just lies about every unsavory thing he does and is feted by his supporters for it.

Finally, Nixon had to resign in disgrace, while Trump gets re-elected President with the public knowing everything that Trump did!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

30. History and doing the right thing do not matter to trump