What, in your view, was Richard Nixon's greatest mistake with regard to Watergate?

Answer 1

This is an easy one. His taping of conversations and keeping the tapes. They were his undoing.

Answer 2

Trying to be Bill Clinton. At least Nixon had the decency to resign without putting the country through impeachment; but I guess Pat Nixon didn't want to be President badly enough.

The burglars were pretty stupid, too -- taping doors went out in high school, and putting the tape back on after someone had removed is just asking for it.

Answer 3

The name Watergate refers to the break in at the Watergate hotel. But that was the last in a string of break ins and extortion schemes that the Nixon's re-election committee (C.R.E.E.P.) had staged.
- They interveened in an anti trust case aginst I.T.T. in return for legal and illegal campaign contributions.
- They had milk support prices raised in exchange for contributions.
- They had the N.S.A. illegally bug reporters who were publishing stories that the White House didn't want published.
- They broke into a phyciatrists office to steal medical records of a reported they wanted to discredit.
-They used to F.B.I. and the C.I.A. to intimidate people and reporters they wanted kept quiet.
-They paid hush money to people they thought could be bribed in to not testafing.
- And they lied about it all under oath.
- They illegally wire taped campaign offices of the Democratic Party.
30 officials were convicted in the Watergate scandal, it wasn't just a break at a hotel.
To say what was Nixon's biggest mistake, it would be his belief that as president he could get away with it.

Answer 4

I agree w/ the first answer - trying to cover it up led to more abuses of power that upset the American public even more.

Though Nixon is known for dirty politics, what he did is child's play compared w/ later presidents or at least understandable)

For Dem.s - Clinton tried to cover up a bj. He should have dared them to impeach him over a sexual indescretion rather than providing them w/ lying under oath. At least Nixon wanted to secure the presidency.

For Republicans - the election controversy for Bush 2. Appalling & embarrassing.

Answer 5

Trying to cover it up. He should have just come out with the whole thing and said I totally screwed up. But if you read his political history all he ever played was dirty politics. Eliminating any standard for the dollar was his greatest mistake though.

Answer 6

Claiming that "executive privilege" bullshi*t and not handing over the tapes. Mmmmmm "executive privilege" bullsh*t seems oddly familiar to current events now eh?

Answer 7

not getting better burglars. I'm sure of it, or at least I think I'm sure of it.