Spiro Agnew served as the 39th Vice President of the United States from January 20, 1969, until his resignation on October 10, 1973, under President Richard Nixon. His tenure was marked by a significant shift in his public image, evolving from a perceived liberal Republican to a staunch conservative attack dog for the administration. Agnew's role was often compared to Nixon's own earlier vice presidential years, earning him the moniker "Nixon's Nixon."
He became known for his fiery rhetoric, particularly against perceived enemies of the administration, and his eventual resignation was a dramatic moment in American political history, preceding the full unraveling of the Watergate scandal.
The Early Years: Shifting Public Image and the 'Attack Dog' Role
Initially, Agnew attempted to adopt a more conciliatory tone in line with President Nixon's post-inauguration speeches. However, he quickly reverted to a firm stance against violence and protests, a public image he had cultivated during his time as governor. In a speech in Honolulu on May 2, 1969, he warned of a "new breed of self-appointed vigilantes" and a "vast faceless majority of the American public in quiet fury." This set the stage for his more aggressive role.
Nixon soon tasked Agnew with attacking the administration's political opponents, allowing the President to remain above the fray. This strategy mirrored Nixon's own past role as vice president. Agnew embraced this new function, delivering a series of speeches that targeted liberal elites and demonstrators. In New Orleans on October 19, he famously blamed "a spirit of national masochism" encouraged by "an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals." The following day in Jackson, Mississippi, he asserted that "for too long the South has been the punching bag for those who characterize themselves as liberal intellectuals," denying a "Southern Strategy" but emphasizing common ground between the administration and Southern whites.
Confronting the Media and the 1970 Midterm Elections
Agnew's rhetoric escalated, particularly in his attacks on the news media. On November 13, 1969, in Des Moines, Iowa, he delivered a nationally televised speech, a rarity for a vice president, criticizing the "instant analysis and querulous criticism" of Nixon's policies by a "small band of network commentators and self-appointed analysts." He questioned whether a form of censorship existed when news received by millions was determined and filtered by a handful of men with their own biases. This speech, penned by Nixon speechwriter Pat Buchanan, resonated with many Republicans and conservatives who felt the media was biased.
Television network executives and commentators reacted with outrage, accusing Agnew of appealing to prejudice and attempting to intimidate the press. Despite the controversy, Agnew's approval rating soared to 64 percent by late November, and *The New York Times* called him "a formidable political asset." This period solidified his power base among conservatives and fueled speculation about his presidential prospects for 1976. He reinforced his media criticism in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 20, attacking *The New York Times* and *The Washington Post* for their perceived narrow viewpoint and alleged attempts to circumscribe his First Amendment rights.
Campaigning, Cambodia, and the Road to Resignation
In early 1970, Agnew became a popular speaker at Republican fundraising events, traveling extensively and supplanting Ronald Reagan as the party's leading fundraiser. He continued his attacks on "supercilious sophisticates" and promised to be a strong voice for the "Silent Majority." Agnew also played a role in policy discussions, notably advocating for attacking Viet Cong sanctuaries in Cambodia during a National Security Council meeting in April 1970, a decision Nixon ultimately adopted.
The continuing student protests against the Vietnam War drew Agnew's scorn. He suggested that Yale University alumni should fire its president, Kingman Brewster, and defended the Cambodia incursion on *Face the Nation*, stating, "When a fire takes place, a man doesn't run into the room and whisper... he yells, 'Fire!' and I am yelling 'Fire!' because I think 'Fire!' needs to be called here." Even after the Kent State shootings, Agnew refused to temper his attacks on demonstrators, viewing them as a response to a "general malaise that argues for violent confrontation instead of debate." Nixon, however, instructed Agnew to avoid remarks about students, though Agnew strongly disagreed and only agreed to comply if Nixon directly ordered it.
For the 1970 midterm elections, Nixon hoped to gain control of the Senate and planned for Agnew to campaign as a spokesman for the "Silent Majority," focusing on social issues to appeal to white, middle- and lower-class voters. Agnew's campaign was characterized by harsh rhetoric and memorable phrases, such as his attack on the "pusillanimous pussyfooting" of liberals and his coining of "the nattering nabobs of negativism." He even implicitly supported a Conservative Party candidate over a Republican incumbent, Senator Charles Goodell, who opposed the Vietnam War. Despite the aggressive campaigning, Republicans only gained two Senate seats and lost eleven governorships, though Goodell's defeat by James Buckley was a bright spot for Agnew. In 1972, Nixon and Agnew were re-elected in a landslide victory.
However, Agnew's vice presidency ended abruptly in 1973. He faced investigations by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud. These allegations stemmed from kickbacks he allegedly received from contractors during his time as Baltimore county executive and governor of Maryland, which reportedly continued into his vice presidency. These issues were separate from the Watergate scandal. After months of denying wrongdoing, Agnew pleaded no contest to a single felony charge of tax evasion and resigned from office on October 10, 1973. He was succeeded by Gerald Ford, marking only the second time a vice president had resigned, the first being John C. Calhoun in 1832.
