Right now my new president is Richard Nixon. Earlier this year I started with TR followed by George Washington. And I decided I’m going to close out the year with Nixon. So it’s only fitting that I came across this New York Times article The Resentment Strategy that sums itself up by saying.

Can Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin really ride Nixonian resentment into an upset election victory in what should be an overwhelmingly Democratic year? The answer is a definite maybe.

Nixon the masterful strategist and history changing politician as evident from his comeback after the tight loss in the 1960 election, followed by the Goldwater disaster of ‘64, left many thinking that his once promising career was over. However, in politics the man always fits the time. Nixon won in ‘68 even with George Wallace making his own independent run that same year taking a large portion of Nixon’s targeted support. What’s important is that combined, Wallace and Nixon took nearly 60% of the vote that year. Clearly the majority were speaking out and Nixon understood them loud and clear.

The Johnson years showed government intrusion into the economy and hampering its productivity. His administration’s “Guns and Butter” policy practically guaranteed inflation by expanding purchasing power. Along with these issues was the disintegration of society among the younger members and along racial lines. Drug use was rampant, illegitimate children on the rise, divorce rates up, and crime was effecting every city in the country. Johnson’s “Great Society” was nothing more than social engineering that usurped powers that were normally left at the local levels and used the federal government to inact broad sweeping powers over all parts of social and economic life. The result created a clash of cultures and excessive individualism that operated without restraint and challenged middle-America. An expanding welfare status of the nation, shamefully high taxes, school busing and too strong of a federal government had simply run its course. Not to mention,long hair, sexual permissiveness, rock music, sex and drugs led to a general break down of traditional structure and morals. It all had taken a heavy toll on the nation. Social strife seemed to be out of control.

Nixon as it stood, was on the right side of history and, more importantly, the social issues. He slashed liberal programs that were nothing more than free give aways for anyone with a grievance. He did away with the Office of Economic Equality that was directly tied into the costly and wasteful “War on Poverty” program. He was able to keep the racial inequality programs intact while being more effective at it than Johnson and Kennedy had been. Additionally, he went about reducing spending at every turn possible and shrank the size of the federal government enabling it to operate sufficiently. In a stroke of genius he transferred spending for social programs back to the localities through a new revenue sharing program. He got tough on crime appointed, conservative justices and promised law and order.

Nixon also fixed the economy the Democrats wrecked by lowering inflation and taxes and got us out of Vietnam while crushing their armies at the same time with a heavy bombing campaign. In just a few weeks his bombing plans would prove more effective and punishing than that of the entire Johnson years sending the Vietnam government to lasting peace negotiations.

Nixon used the arrogant, unresponsive and unyielding liberal agendas to promote his own image as the man in the center. He ran right of Humphrey and left of Wallace. Putting him squarely in the middle with a message people wanted to hear. A return to normalcy and good government that could offer prosperity and security again.

If any of this relates to this year’s elections, it’s situations like the media created for Gov Palin and the general stigma that comes along with liberal/intellectual elitist the Democrats are so fond of nominating. It’s the “clinging to religion and guns” comments. The European ideals and classical progressive ideology of government regulation, expansion and stifling taxes, that worry many. It’s the out of touch, unpatriotic, radical left, that make many independents and moderate voters turn their nose up to Democratic tickets at that last moment. It’s the idea of peace at all cost and an economic populist message that makes you want to hide your wallet.

With the political atmosphere as it is, how could McCain, a Republican, be virtually tied at this point? How is there even discussion that he is now on the offensive these last two months and the fresh Democratic ticket all of the sudden looks like the status quo? Do most American’s resent the Democratic establishment even if that unfairly includes Barack Obama? I think so and it’s obvious.

Nixon during the ‘68 election he remarked something along the lines that the Republican Party wasn’t strong to elect a president. He said the party needed a presidential candidate strong enough to elect the Republican Party.

I can’t think of a better quote to sum up what has transpired thus far in this year’s election with Senator McCain. And with the energetic entry of Gov. Palin, those skeptical voters distrusting of a Democratic ticket led by a man they know deep down doesn’t have anything in common with them may have reason and motivation not to vote for Senator Obama’s “change.”