One of the iconic moments of post-World War II American presidential race politics, was Richard M. Nixon's September 23, 1952 speech, rebutting charges that he had accepted an illegal campaign contribution, that would be worth $140,000 in 2007 dollars. Nixon deftly handled the situation, which threatened to have him removed from the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket. The speech and its reception are credited with saving Nixon's political career.In the speech, Nixon created two indelible American images, that of his dog "Checkers," and his reference to his wife Pat's "respectable Republican cloth coat." His entire statement, regarding his wife's wardrobe, was:
Pat and I have the satisfaction that every dime that we've got is honestly ours. I should say this, that Pat doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her she'd look good in anything.
Here's the entire speech:
So, even if Palin is capable of making a "Checkers" speech, would that save this hapless campaign from the inevitable?
image - Pat Nixon, watching her husband make the "Checkers speech."