WAS RICHARD NIXON A RACIST?

Was former President Richard M. Nixon a racist?

If you consider the 265 hours of recordings, captured by the secret taping system Nixon had installed in the White House and released last week by the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, you’d say yes, he is!

According to the tapes, Nixon made disparaging remarks about Jews, African-Americans, Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans in a series of extended conversations recorded in the Oval Office during the 16 months before his resignation.

For example, in one conversation with senior adviser Charles W. Colson from February 13, 1973, who had just told Nixon that he had always had “a little prejudice,” Nixon said he was not prejudiced but that he  “just recognized that, you know, all people have certain traits.”

“The Jews have certain traits,” he said. “The Irish have certain — for example, the Irish can’t drink. What you always have to remember with the Irish is they get mean. Virtually every Irish I’ve known gets mean when he drinks. Particularly the real Irish.” Nixon continued: “The Italians, of course, those people course don’t have their heads screwed on tight. They are wonderful people, but,” and his voice trailed off. Then Nixon returned to Jews: “The Jews are just a very aggressive and abrasive and obnoxious personality.”

At another point in a conversation with his personal secretary Rose Mary Woods, Nixon offered sharp skepticism at the argument of William P. Rogers, his secretary of state, that black Americans would become more valued citizens. “Bill Rogers has got — to his credit it’s a decent feeling — but somewhat sort of a blind spot on the black thing because he’s been in New York,” Nixon said. “He says well, ‘They are coming along, and that after all they are going to strengthen our country in the end because they are strong physically and some of them are smart.’ So forth and so on.  (But) my own view is I think he’s right if you’re talking in terms of 500 years,” he said. “I think it’s wrong if you’re talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have to be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that’s the only thing that’s going to do it, Rose.”

The tapes are from February and March of 1973, in the final months before the Watergate scandal ended his presidency.