Nixon and the Elusiveness of Social Welfare Compromise

Nixon was a flawed president, to say the least, and though he was ideologically flexible, he did not help himself in Congress by surrounding himself with numerous partisan political brawlers who would be all too comfortable in today’s bruising environment. He also pushed many ideas that were later seen as inflicting long-term damage on the economy, such as price controls.

But he was creative, and willing to venture into areas that other Republicans were too scared to explore.