The
Watergate scandal happened when FBI and CIA officials broke into the Democratic headquarters at
the Watergate hotel and stole official papers pertaining to the McGovern campaign. When The
Washington Post broke the story, Nixon tried to hide any responsibility, though it would turn
out that he was involved and may have even hired the burglars. Nixon was seen as a crook in the
eyes of the people and, on August 9, 1974, chose resignation over impeachment. Many historians
think that if the impeachment trial ran its course, Nixon would have been found guilty. Nixon
was later pardoned by his vice president, Gerald Ford. Though it was claimed to be a corrupt
bargain, Ford claimed that he only did this to put the nightmare of corruption behind so that
the nation could have a fresh start.
In the short term, Gerald Ford's
presidency was largely forgettable, though he ran for the office on his own in 1976, only to be
defeated by a relatively unknown politician named Jimmy Carter.
In the long
term, this diminished the office of the presidency. People are now more likely to refer to their
elected officials as corrupt. People now look at political outsiders as being untainted with the
scandal of Washington, even if they have other scandals as well as a lack of experience. Nixon's
legacy was permanently tarnished, though he did lead the way to better relations with China, and
he is responsible for pulling American troops out of Vietnam.
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