It is clear that Richard Nixon was elected conservative. He promised themes related to "law and order" (Lecture 24, November 14), gave in to what he called the "silent majority" (Silent Majority Speech, 1969), and promised to end the unpopular Vietnam War, itself a product of liberal policies and liberal policies. ideals. He offered a stark contrast in rhetoric between the blistering “we can do anything” language perpetuated by Kennedy and Johnson (lecture 25, November 19). But how conservative was “Tricky Dick’s” presidency really? Has the man who was elected specifically to end the seemingly endless chaos of the 1960s really prolonged the national nightmare? In terms of economic policy, Richard Nixon's legacy as a conservative or liberal is somewhat mixed. By the time of Nixon's election, Great Society programs that provided economic relief to African Americans and the poor had become increasingly unpopular due to the ever-increasing costs of financing these programs and the costly war of Vietnam (Conference 25, November 19). Nixon charted an economic path along the middle path between the conservatism of the New Right and the liberalism that had dominated the previous decade (lecture 25, November 19). On the one hand, Nixon recognized the need, both symbolic and practical, to scale back various Great Society programs. One such program that has suffered cuts is the space program. Although Nixon allowed Kennedy's dream of landing on the moon to become a reality in 1969, he soon after imposed limits on the space program that had more symbolic value than anything else. The space program was a new-liberal brand of the “we can do anything” philosophy of reaching new heights in a promising future that promised a “new frontier” (Conference 25, November 19). He had promised to end up as a candidate. Nixon's run as an international con man finally caught up with him in 1972, when burglars were caught and arrested within the Democratic Party. national headquarters at the Watergate Resort in Washington. Nixon attempted to cover up the affair, but he was ultimately found caught in his own web of lies and was forced to resign in 1974 (Lesson 30, December 12). Nixon's promises of a return to normalcy were shattered by these revelations. The confidence in the presidency that he had hoped to restore was even weaker than it had been when he took office. If the 1960s were defined by political and social instability, then Richard Nixon merely extended the 1960s into the 1970s. The 1960s truly ended with the pardon of Richard Nixon by President Ford in 1974. After that, Ford declared: "our long national nightmare is over.”.