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Fifties in America
Nixon's "Checkers" Speech

The Event: Nationally televised speech delivered by vice presidential
candidate Richard M. Nixon
Date: September 23, 1952

Richard M. Nixon's emotional response to charges that he had misused political funds was so well received that it preserved his place on the ballot and ensured the continuation of a political career that would eventually lead him to the presidency.

During the midst of the 1952 presidential campaign, a newspaper story charged that thousands of dollars had been funneled to Nixon through a secret political fund. Although the fund was neither illegal nor particularly unusual, Nixon faced the threat of being dropped as Dwight D. Eisenhower's running mate. He responded by defending himself on national television and in a brilliantly delivered speech gave a full accounting of his personal finances and made a stinging attack on the Democrats. He also vowed never to return a dog, named "Checkers" by his daughter Tricia, that had been sent to his family as a gift. Following the speech, Republicans rallied behind Nixon, and he was greeted as "my boy" by Eisenhower.

Impact
The speech attracted fifty-five million viewers--the largest audience in television history until Nixon's 1960 debate with John F. Kennedy--and established television as a key factor in American politics. Moreover, it saved the political career of Nixon and possibly that of Eisenhower as well.

Further Reading
Ryan, Halford. "Senator Richard M. Nixon's Apology for `The Fund.'" In Oratorical Encounters: Selected Studies and Sources of Twentieth-Century Political Accusations and Apologies, edited by Halford Ryan. New York: Greenwood, 1988. An analysis of the rhetorical strategies used by Nixon in confronting his accusers.

Wicker, Tom. One of Us: Richard M. Nixon and the American Dream. New York: Random House, 1991. Contains a chapter on the speech as a pivotal event in Nixon's life.

Larry Haapanen

See Also
Cold War; Elections in the United States, 1952; Khrushchev's visit to the United States; Nixon, Richard M.; Television in the United States.