Slow Burn: Watergate | Episode 5: True Believers

Date: January 2, 2018
Host: Slate Podcasts
Host/Storyteller: Leon Naifau

Overview

This episode of Slow Burn, titled "True Believers," examines why so many Americans—particularly those from working-class backgrounds—continued to support President Richard Nixon in the thick of the Watergate scandal. Through reporting, archival clips, and historical interviews, the episode delves into the psychology and motivations of Nixon’s most loyal defenders, unraveling how partisanship, cultural anxiety, and deep emotional investments shaped public reaction as damning evidence against the President emerged.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gail Sheehy's Assignment: Understanding Nixon Loyalists

• [00:32–02:17]
  • Journalist Gail Sheehy attended Terry's Bar in Astoria, Queens, specifically to observe and engage Nixon's most steadfast supporters on the first day of the Watergate hearings.
  • The bargoers—mostly blue-collar men—were not just indifferent to the hearings; they saw the proceedings as a “big show put on by liberals who wanted to take down the President.”
  • A sense of disempowerment and "nobodies" identity pervaded the bar, with Nixon viewed as the strongman providing them dignity and protection against social upheaval.
  • Memorable Bar Owner Quote:
    “You need some strong man on the top now to start whipping everything into shape. It might scare some people. It doesn’t scare me.” — Terry, bar owner [01:41]

2. The Rhetoric and Psychology of Nixon Defenders

• [02:17–03:12]
  • The episode spotlights the narratives Nixon supporters reached for, as humorist Art Buchwald catalogued:
    • “Everyone does it.”
    • “What about Chappaquiddick?” (referencing Ted Kennedy’s scandal)
    • “Wait until all the facts come out.”
    • “I’m sick and tired of hearing about Watergate and so is everybody else.”
  • Quote from Rick Perlstein:
    “My dad said Watergate. You know, everyone did that kind of stuff. Nixon just got caught.” — Rick Perlstein [02:44]

3. Cross-Party Support & Cultural Backdrop

• [03:12–04:26]
  • The support wasn’t purely along party lines. Many Nixon defenders were lifelong Democrats—frustrated by social turmoil in the late ‘60s such as the antiwar, civil rights, and women’s movements.
  • Discomfort with social change drove some voters to Nixon, despite their traditional Democratic allegiances.
  • Host’s Paraphrase:
    “They saw this eruption in ’68...it was overwhelming. They couldn’t stand it. So they gravitated towards this man who appeared to speak for them...” [03:54]

4. Political and Institutional Endurance

• [04:26–05:19]
  • Some politicians clung fiercely to Nixon, framing the investigation as a legislative “lynch mob.”
  • George H.W. Bush, then-chairman of the RNC, rallied supporters to let Nixon “do the job he was elected to do,” despite mounting evidence.
  • George H.W. Bush Address:
    “The people are going to tell their members of Congress...Let the man do the job he was elected to do.” [05:07]

5. The Overwhelming Evidence and the Unbroken Faith

• [05:19–06:11]
  • Testimony by John Dean, James McCord, and the former Attorney General had exposed Nixon’s role in the cover-up and criminal activities—yet support remained solid among “true believers.”
  • The episode probes: Why did many persist in loyalty even as “indefensible behavior piled up”? How did they reckon with the existence of Nixon’s secret tapes?

6. Refusal to Accept Nixon’s Guilt

• [06:11–06:26]
  • Even as new revelations spilled out, defenders insisted Nixon couldn’t have acted alone, likening Watergate to “everybody does it.”
  • Refrains comparing Watergate to previous presidential misdeeds were used as rationalizations.
  • Memorable Quote from a Loyalist:
    “I don’t think a man in his position would resort to something like that. That was foolhardy anyway. The FBI said that Franklin Roosevelt did it a lot. Truman did.” [06:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:41] Terry (bar owner):
  "You need some strong man on the top now to start whipping everything into shape. It might scare some people. It doesn’t scare me."

• [02:44] Rick Perlstein (Historian):
  "My dad said Watergate. You know, everyone did that kind of stuff. Nixon just got caught."

• [05:07] George H.W. Bush:
  "The people are going to tell their members of Congress. The people are going to tell their members of the United States Senate. Let the man do the job he was elected to do."

• [06:11] Unnamed Loyalist:
  "I don’t think a man in his position would resort to something like that. That was foolhardy anyway. The FBI said that Franklin Roosevelt did it a lot. Truman did. If the election were held again today, the results would not be measurably different."

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:32–01:58 – Gail Sheehy enters Terry's Bar to meet Nixon’s blue-collar supporters
• 01:58–02:17 – Descriptions of the sense of “nobody” identity and Nixon’s appeal as a tough leader
• 02:17–03:12 – Art Buchwald’s satirical guide and Rick Perlstein’s commentary on rationalizing Nixon’s actions
• 03:12–04:26 – Cultural anxieties and cross-party support for Nixon, with focus on the Democratic shift
• 04:26–05:19 – Political elites’ defense of Nixon, including George H.W. Bush’s speech
• 05:19–06:11 – Recap of mounting evidence, yet unwavering loyalty from supporters
• 06:11–06:26 – Rationalizations about presidential misdeeds and lasting unshaken belief in Nixon
• 06:26–end – Episode title, closing to main content

Tone and Style

The host maintains a reflective and analytical tone, contextualizing archival material and interviews to evoke the tension and confusion of the Watergate era. The episode aims not just to describe what happened, but to capture what it felt like to navigate a country divided by loyalty, fear, and the stubborn insistence on believing in a political hero against all odds.

Summary Statement

"True Believers" dives into the unyielding faith of Nixon’s defenders during Watergate, revealing the interplay of partisanship, social anxiety, and emotional identity. Through first-hand reporting and sharp historical context, the episode underscores how facts alone rarely shatter political loyalties—and how major scandals, then and now, often deepen, rather than diminish, a leader’s core support.