Richard Nixon and the 1969 ElectionRichard Nixon, was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. Fifty-six years after his birth he became the 37th president of the United States. In the election Nixon defeated Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey by only about 500,000 votes in the popular vote. Nixon is considered one of the most controversial politicians of the 20th century. He used his political experience, his background, the communist fear of the late 1940s and early 1950s, and some other factors to become President of the United States. When people decide who they will vote for, an important factor they look at is the candidates' educational background. Nixon grew up in a Quaker family in Southern California. The importance of hard work and integrity was emphasized. He was always a good student in school and had the chance to enroll in Harvard and Yale. However, he had to refuse the offer due to a family illness which forced him to stay closer to home. He decided to attend Whittner College, where he graduated second in his class. He went on to attend law school at Duke University where he graduated third in his class. It is important to have a good education because you will appear much more competent to the people who vote for you. By receiving and doing very well in his education, Nixon gained the support he would later need to become president. Another very important factor was Nixon's previous experience in politics. After graduating from Duke University, Nixon joined the Navy during World War II. After returning from the war, Nixon threw himself straight into politics. He responded to a call from the Republican Party in the newspaper. They were looking for someone to run against five-term Democratic Rep. Jerry Voorhis. John Ehrlichman once said of Richard Nixon: “He is like a racehorse specially trained to run a particular race and not suited to pulling chariots. He is in favor of running the race to be president, and that is what he has lived for (Matusow 1).” This just gives you an idea of ​​Nixon's attitude. He would do anything to win. The style of Nixon's first campaign for Congress set the tone for the early part of his political career. An example would be that while running against Voorhis he accused him of being a communist. He even had campaign workers call voters... middle of paper... Robert Finch, "He wasn't as attractive, physically, as some of the other candidates, but he was so intense; he was a strong personality. You thought of him as as a novelty, someone who would be effective and successful in political activity. I was impressed by his obvious political skills, his intelligence, and his drive (Strober 31).” This certainly seems like one of the qualities that would make a good president and the public agrees to elect him president. Nixon, although considered one of the most controversial politicians, used his political experience, his background and the communist fear of the end of the 1940s and early 1950s to become President. It took Nixon about four years but he finally managed to end the Vietnam War. He promised the American people that when he took office his top priority would be to end the this horrible war. He did what he promised and he deserves credit. Even if things didn't always work out for him, he came back from the events a smarter man. He used his knowledge to win the elections smart to learn from his mistakes and Nixon did that. That's why he deserved to be president of the United States.