--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a final indignity for the defeated…" description: "\"“As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice President Nixon had to preside over the roll call of the Electoral College. “This is the first tim..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png" --- # As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice… ![“As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice President Nixon had to preside over the roll call of the Electoral College. “This is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the presidency announced the result of an election in which he was defeated,” he told the assembled members of…” quote by Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png) > ““As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice President Nixon had to preside over the roll call of the Electoral College. “This is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the presidency announced the result of an election in which he was defeated,” he told the assembled members of Congress. “I do not think we could have a more striking and eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system.” He got a standing ovation.”” [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in defeat, the electoral process demonstrates constitutional resilience and decorum, reinforcing democratic stability. **In simple terms:** Defeat can showcase democratic strength. Key Takeaway Respect institutional processes. Themes democracy constitution political stability ritual Mood respectful hopeful Type historical political When to use this quote - elections - government - public discourse - history Key Concepts civic trust institutional legitimacy political ceremony Questions to Reflect On - What does this ritual say about national unity? - How does symbolism affect public confidence? A Different Perspective Ceremonial gestures may mask deeper tensions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeated Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-told-5666258/) [Election Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-defeated-5666257/) [Electoral college](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electoral-college/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Nixon Preside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon-preside-5666256/) [President nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-nixon/) [Vice president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-president/) ## Related quotes > [“The vice president (Nixon) seems like a man who is acting like a nice man rather than being one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-whitman/the-vice-president-nixon-seems-like-a-man-who-is-acting-like-a-nice/) [Ann Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-whitman/) > [“One of Castro’s first acts as Cuba’s Prime Minister was to go on a diplomatic tour that started on April 15, 1959. His first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/one-of-castro-s-first-acts-as-cuba-s-prime-minister-was-to-go-on-a/) [Captain Hank Bracker, The Exciting Story of Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba/) > [Other than they may or may not have discussed the relative merits of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote, what I am told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tumulty/other-than-they-may-or-may-not-have-discussed-the-relative-merits-of/) [Karen Tumulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tumulty/) > [“As I hung up and walked slowly back to our table,” Nixon recalled, “it dawned on me that I had just participated in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-i-hung-up-and-walked-slowly-back-to-our-table-nixon-recalled-it/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [As president, Nixon imposed wage and price controls, created the Environmental Protection Agency, initiated race-based hiring schemes, signed SALT I with the Soviets and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/as-president-nixon-imposed-wage-and-price-controls-created-the/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [So far as I'm concerned, Ronald Reagan was the best president. Nixon was the worst. Some of his policies were okay, but he disgraced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/so-far-as-i-m-concerned-ronald-reagan-was-the-best-president-nixon/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [ We want accountability. We just buried a president \[President Gerald Ford\] who did not hold another president \[President Nixon\] accountable for war crimes and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-want-accountability-we-just-buried-a-president-president-gerald/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [When President Nixon declared war on drugs on June 17, 1971, about 110 people per 100,000 in the population were incarcerated. Today, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maia-szalavitz/when-president-nixon-declared-war-on-drugs-on-june-17-1971-about-110/) [Maia Szalavitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maia-szalavitz/) > [Whereas the handling of the case against President Nixon clearly strengthened the nation's respect for law, justice and truth, the Clinton impeachment may unfortunately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/whereas-the-handling-of-the-case-against-president-nixon-clearly/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [In the fall of 1972, President Nixon announced that the rate of increase of inflation was decreasing. This was the first time a president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-rossi/in-the-fall-of-1972-president-nixon-announced-that-the-rate-of/) [Hugo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-rossi/) > [I can remember the morning after President Nixon won re-election in 1972. His chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, called a Cabinet meeting and told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-thomas/i-can-remember-the-morning-after-president-nixon-won-re-election-in/) [Helen Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-thomas/) > [Being on President Nixon's enemies list was the highest single honor I've ever received. Who knows who's listening to me now and what government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/being-on-president-nixon-s-enemies-list-was-the-highest-single-honor/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [I went to see President Nixon at the White House. It wasn't difficult to get a meeting because I was heavyweight champion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-went-to-see-president-nixon-at-the-white-house-it-wasn-t-difficult/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [I wasn't alive when President Nixon was impeached, but I know that public opinion changed over time and that there was very little support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/i-wasn-t-alive-when-president-nixon-was-impeached-but-i-know-that/) [Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/) > [“The CIA is behind it all. That’s the conclusion of Mae Brussell—one of America’s foremost assassination experts—a researcher who has collected every pertinent newspaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-brussell/the-cia-is-behind-it-all-that-s-the-conclusion-of-mae-brussell-one-of/) [Mae Brussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-brussell/) ## More by Nancy Gibbs > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [Be bored and see where it takes you, because the imagination's dusty wilderness is worth crossing if you want to sculpt your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/be-bored-and-see-where-it-takes-you-because-the-imagination-s-dusty/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [As you probably know, I've written a lot about the presidency, so it's obviously exciting when you get to interview a president and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-you-probably-know-i-ve-written-a-lot-about-the-presidency-so-it-s/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [ \[Former chief executives\] come away thinking that America needs a strong, functioning presidency to succeed, and they become very protective of that office. Democrats… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/former-chief-executives-come-away-thinking-that-america-needs-a/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [It's hard to think of any tool, any instrument, any object in history with which so many developed so close a relationship so quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/it-s-hard-to-think-of-any-tool-any-instrument-any-object-in-history/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [“Lydon Johnson realized he really was President, that his identity had changed by President Kennedy's shocking death, when aides who had been like family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/lydon-johnson-realized-he-really-was-president-that-his-identity-had/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [A typical smart phone has more computing power than Apollo 11 when it landed a man on the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/a-typical-smart-phone-has-more-computing-power-than-apollo-11-when-it/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [George W. Bush, though a president's son, is cast as Reagan's heir even more than his father's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/george-w-bush-though-a-president-s-son-is-cast-as-reagan-s-heir-even/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [For God to be kept out of the classroom or out of America's public debate by nervous school administrators or overcautious politicians serves no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/for-god-to-be-kept-out-of-the-classroom-or-out-of-america-s-public/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [Pain is the most private experience, but its causes, whether natural or man-made, demand public accounting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/pain-is-the-most-private-experience-but-its-causes-whether-natural-or/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [On the court, Jason Collins is not a huge basketball star, but he has already claimed his place in civil rights history as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/on-the-court-jason-collins-is-not-a-huge-basketball-star-but-he-has/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [When you are a media celebrity, every word you speak is dissected, as are those you choose not to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/when-you-are-a-media-celebrity-every-word-you-speak-is-dissected-as/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [If you want to humble an empire it makes sense to maim its cathedrals. They are symbols of its faith, and when they crumple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/if-you-want-to-humble-an-empire-it-makes-sense-to-maim-its-cathedrals/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [“The wand is mighter then the sword.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-wand-is-mighter-then-the-sword/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) [Explore all 179 Nancy Gibbs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) ## More Electoral college quotes > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I would've easily won the popular vote, much easier, in my opinion, than winning the electoral college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-would-ve-easily-won-the-popular-vote-much-easier-in-my-opinion-than/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“A less well known impact of immigrant populations is the increase that destination states gain in Congress where apportionment of seats in the House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-s-greenberg/a-less-well-known-impact-of-immigrant-populations-is-the-increase/) [Edward S. Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-s-greenberg/) > [Even without voting, illegal aliens do affect who gets elected president, and that's since the Electoral College elects the president, and the states are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-without-voting-illegal-aliens-do-affect-who-gets-elected/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Other than they may or may not have discussed the relative merits of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote, what I am told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tumulty/other-than-they-may-or-may-not-have-discussed-the-relative-merits-of/) [Karen Tumulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tumulty/) > [I ran for the electoral college. I didn't run for the popular vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ran-for-the-electoral-college-i-didn-t-run-for-the-popular-vote/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“How we react to the presidency of Donald Trump will be the first test of our preparedness. His administration in its infancy is already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lilla/how-we-react-to-the-presidency-of-donald-trump-will-be-the-first-test/) [Mark Lilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lilla/) > [“learned two things from the students. One was that they disliked identity politics. They thought that Hillary spent too much time trying to appeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/learned-two-things-from-the-students-one-was-that-they-disliked/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [America voted Romney. Electoral college voted Obama. Stop being ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/america-voted-romney-electoral-college-voted-obama-stop-being-ignorant/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While imperfect, the electoral college has generally served the republic well. It forces candidates to campaign in a variety of closely contested races, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-m-daley/while-imperfect-the-electoral-college-has-generally-served-the/) [William M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-m-daley/) > [In the 2012 election, the polls that had made Mitt Romney so confident that he was going to win were his own internal polls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/in-the-2012-election-the-polls-that-had-made-mitt-romney-so-confident/) [Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/) > [As the country's third-largest state by population, Florida is the crown jewel in the Electoral College among swing states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-murphy/as-the-country-s-third-largest-state-by-population-florida-is-the/) [Patrick Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-murphy/) > [Donald Trump was tainted every kind of way you could imagine. I mean, no way in the world that Donald Trump is a champion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/donald-trump-was-tainted-every-kind-of-way-you-could-imagine-i-mean/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore got more votes than George W. Bush, but still lost the election. The Supreme Court's ruling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/in-the-2000-presidential-election-al-gore-got-more-votes-than-george/) [Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/) > [No one likes the Electoral College, expect perhaps those who were elected because of it. No one likes gerrymandering, except those doing the gerrymandering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bleyer/no-one-likes-the-electoral-college-expect-perhaps-those-who-were/) [Kevin Bleyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bleyer/) [Browse all 116 Electoral college quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electoral-college/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice President Nixon had to preside over the roll call of the Electoral College. “This is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the presidency announced the result of an election in which he was defeated,” he told the assembled members of Congress. “I do not think we could have a more striking and eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system.” He got a standing ovation.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Gibbs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-warrior-vice-president-nixon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Electoral college" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-warrior-vice-president-nixon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/nancy-gibbs-2206_electoral-college_as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-wa_2341266.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a final indignity for the defeated warrior, Vice President Nixon had to preside over the roll call of the…” — Nancy Gibbs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nancy Gibbs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As a final indignity for the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-warrior-vice-president-nixon/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/as-a-final-indignity-for-the-defeated-warrior-vice-president-nixon/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```