362 - Watergate: When Faith in American Politics Was Destroyed

Aug 21, 2023

Explore the Watergate scandal and its enduring impact on American politics and culture. Learn about Richard Nixon's early life and political rise. Uncover the motives behind the Watergate break-in and Nixon's questionable actions. Discover Nixon's legacy, the release of the Pentagon Papers, and his paranoid beliefs. Dive into the tactics used to undermine McGovern's campaign. Also, enjoy funny stories, listener feedback, and discussions on oral sex and pronunciation mistakes.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Watergate Scandal: Uncovering Nixon's Illegal Actions

03:12 • 17min

Richard Nixon's Early Life and Political Career

20:15 • 16min

Introduction, Sponsor Messages, and Personal Recommendation

36:22 • 5min

Richard Nixon's Political Rise and the Red Scare

41:13 • 2min

The Hiss-Chambers Case and its Impact on Nixon

43:31 • 28min

Nixon's Remarks on Law and Order

01:11:48 • 15min

Nixon's Legacy and the Pentagon Papers

01:26:36 • 27min

Uncovering the Motives

01:53:20 • 26min

Nixon's Undercutting and McGovern's Liberal Ideas

02:19:46 • 30min

Watergate, the Shady Group, and a Communist Cult

02:49:34 • 3min

A Story About Sergeant Richard Swallow and a Birthday Shout-Out

02:52:50 • 3min

Acknowledging Listener Feedback and Correcting Pronunciations

02:56:07 • 5min

Discussion of Public Life and Sudden Advertisements

03:01:18 • 2min

On August 9th, 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States of America, while serving his second term (after winning in a landslide), became the first and still only American leader to resign from office. Why? In a word, "Watergate." But Watergate was only the tip of the corruption iceberg. Through the televised Senate Watergate hearings, other members of government and the American public learned that having men break into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Office Complex was but one of many, many illegal things Nixon had either outright authorized or at least tacitly endorsed. 69 people would be indicted and 48 of them would be convicted for various crimes related to this scandal, with many of them serving time in prison. So what happened? We break it down, today, on Timesuck!

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