I've been thinking about Richard Nixon lately. Well, in truth I think about him a lot because he comes up so much in class ("comes up so much" meaning: "I constantly talk about him.") But I've been thinking about him more than usual because I am excited to see the new film "Frost/Nixon," which is based on the play, which I didn't see. Right now I'm reading the book "31 Days: Gerald Ford, The Nixon Pardon, and a Government in Crisis" by Barry Werth. Fascinating further evidence of what a miserable weasel Nixon was. I'm going to assume in advance that I will like the film, its message, its impact, etc. And I am happy Ron Howard made the film in much the same way I am happy Robert Redford ensured "All the President's Men" became a film. Redford, who obviously starred in the film as Woodward, is not named as a producer, but from what I've read, it was Redford who bought the rights to the story after reading Woodward and Bernstein's book, and it was Redford who fought to make the project happen. The story of Nixon's treachery and criminality must continue to be told and retold, and film is perhaps the single most important mass market educator.
