Fear mongering was one of Nixon's specialties; he'd built his career on it during the Red Scare days. So what would a famous Nixon address be without a little fear and paranoia thrown in for good measure?
While most of the speech is dedicated to defending himself and demonstrating what an honest and upstanding citizen he is, the last third of the speech has Nixon on the attack. Surprise surprise, it's an attack using the great motivator, fear—in this case, fear of Communism and by extension, fear of the politicians who won't condemn it.
In 1952, this was an easy sell.
Questions About Fear
- Why were people so easily swayed by Nixon's zealous anti-communist rhetoric?
- How does Nixon manage to cast his opponents as sympathetic to communist ideology?
- How does Nixon manage to come off so likeable while simultaneously throwing so much shade on his opponents?
- How legitimate were the fears of corruption and Communism that Nixon was fanning?
Chew on This
Even in a speech ostensibly aimed at clearing his own name, Nixon can't help but go on the offensive.
Nixon never outright accuses Stevenson and Sparkman of anything, but he casts doubt in a powerful way that's more effective than an outright attack.