by George Hay on Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:07 am
Today is the 60th Anniversary of Nixon's Checkers Speech:
One other thing I probably should tell you, because if I don't they will probably be saying this about me, too. We did get something, a gift, after the election.
A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog, and, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore, saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was?
It was a little cocker spaniel dog, in a crate that he had sent all the way from Texas, black and white, spotted, and our little girl Tricia, the six year old, named it Checkers.
And you know, the kids, like all kids, loved the dog, and I just want to say this, right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we are going to keep it.
Richard M. Nixon - September 23, 1952
In the 1952 Republican Convention, Senator Richard M. Nixon of California was chosen as the running mate for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Republican candidates were Eisenhower for president, and Nixon for vise-president. Soon after allegations of improper funding by Nixon surfaced in the media. Nixon went on television to defend himself in a speech that was destined to be known as the Checkers Speech because of the above quote. The speech was successful and Nixon remained on the ticket. Eisenhower and Nixon went on to win the election of 1952, and were reelected in 1956. The Checkers Speech is why September 23 is Checkers Day, and Dogs in Politics Day. Have a great Checkers Day!
--George Hay