--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Richard Nixon was a very intelligent and…" description: "\"Richard Nixon was a very intelligent and able man. And he had the right ideas. But he did not have the adherence to principles that [Ronald] Reagan had..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/milton-friedman-616_able_richard-nixon-was-a-very-intelligent-and_1337531.jpg" --- # Richard Nixon was a very intelligent and able man. And he… ![“Richard Nixon was a very intelligent and able man. And he had the right ideas. But he did not have the adherence to principles that [Ronald] Reagan had. He did some very good things. We owe to Richard Nixon the volunteer army - he got rid of the draft. And that was a major increase in freedom.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/milton-friedman-616_able_richard-nixon-was-a-very-intelligent-and_1337531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/milton-friedman-616_able_richard-nixon-was-a-very-intelligent-and_1337531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d1/milton-friedman-616_able_richard-nixon-was-a-very-intelligent-and_1337531.jpg) > “Richard Nixon was a very intelligent and able man. And he had the right ideas. But he did not have the adherence to principles that \[Ronald\] Reagan had. He did some very good things. We owe to Richard Nixon the volunteer army - he got rid of the draft. And that was a major increase in freedom.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nixon was intelligent and had good ideas, but lacked firm principles compared to Reagan, though he made notable contributions like ending the draft, increasing personal freedom. **In simple terms:** Nixon was smart, lacked strong principles, but ended the draft. Key Takeaway Recognize that competence without principle can limit impact. Themes leadership principles policy freedom politics Mood reflective critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - government reform - military recruitment - policy analysis - leadership evaluation Key Concepts Political philosophy ethical consistency civil-military relations Questions to Reflect On - How does principle shape the legacy of intelligent leaders? - Can good policies outweigh a lack of principle? A Different Perspective Intelligence alone does not guarantee ethical governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adherence/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Right ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-ideas/) [Volunteer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volunteer/) ## Related quotes > [If you study how Ronald Reagan won first the 1980 election and then in 1984, what Reagan did is what Trump is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/if-you-study-how-ronald-reagan-won-first-the-1980-election-and-then/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [If Mitt Romney had got the percentage Ronald Reagan did of Hispanics, he would have defeated Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/if-mitt-romney-had-got-the-percentage-ronald-reagan-did-of-hispanics/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [I do think, from the other side, that George W. ush was somewhat of an innocent in his thinking about what Ronald Reagan did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-do-think-from-the-other-side-that-george-w-ush-was-somewhat-of-an/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [For all the worship that Ronald Reagan elicits in conservative circles in the United States, I would venture that Thatcher did far more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-weisman/for-all-the-worship-that-ronald-reagan-elicits-in-conservative/) [Jon Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-weisman/) > [It is essential for politicians to make a connection with us, as Franklin Roosevelt did, as Teddy Roosevelt did, as John F. 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