--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon…" description: "\"At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg" --- # At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political… ![“At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former president in the criminal dock as our country moved into its bicentennial year was profoundly disturbing.” quote by Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg) > “At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former president in the criminal dock as our country moved into its bicentennial year was profoundly disturbing.” [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The decision to pardon Nixon was a lawful political choice, yet the image of a former president on trial during the bicentennial was unsettling. **In simple terms:** Legal authority vs. public discomfort. Key Takeaway Recognize legal limits and emotional impact. Themes law politics history Mood analytical historical Type political inspirational When to use this quote - legal education - political analysis - media commentary - historical study Key Concepts constitutional law public opinion Questions to Reflect On - Should leaders prioritize legal authority over societal healing? - How does historical context shape political decisions? A Different Perspective Legal justification may not soothe public sentiment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Constitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Criminal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision Pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-pardon-5400196/) [Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disturbing/) [Dock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dock/) [Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ford/) [Ford Constitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ford-constitutional-5400195/) [Former](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/former/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon/) [Nixon Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon-political-3865928/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardon/) [Pardon Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardon-nixon-730525/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-judgment-575185/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Profoundly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profoundly/) [Properly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/properly/) [Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/specter/) [Within](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/within/) [Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year/) ## Related quotes > [While I do not believe Ford was wrong to pardon Nixon, the timing of the pardon was premature and may have cost Ford the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/while-i-do-not-believe-ford-was-wrong-to-pardon-nixon-the-timing-of/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [The roots of Nixon's political descent lay at least as far back as May 1970, when the shooting of four young Americans at Kent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-cox-richardson/the-roots-of-nixon-s-political-descent-lay-at-least-as-far-back-as/) [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) > [Make no mistake about it: the labeling of someone's language as 'sexist' involves a political judgment and implies the desirability of a particular sociological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/make-no-mistake-about-it-the-labeling-of-someone-s-language-as-sexist/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Political judgment is the ability to hear the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/political-judgment-is-the-ability-to-hear-the-distant-hoofbeats-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [There was a time when conservative intellectuals raised the level of American public debate and helped to keep it sober. Those days are gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lilla/there-was-a-time-when-conservative-intellectuals-raised-the-level-of/) [Mark Lilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lilla/) > [Power-worship blurs political judgment because it leads, almost unavoidably, to the belief that present trends will continue. Whoever is winning at the moment will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/power-worship-blurs-political-judgment-because-it-leads-almost/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [When you are in local government, you are on the ground, and you are looking into the eyes and hearts of the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/when-you-are-in-local-government-you-are-on-the-ground-and-you-are/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [I would love to believe that my political judgment is impeccable, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/i-would-love-to-believe-that-my-political-judgment-is-impeccable-but/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [“Philip Tetlock, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, explored these so-called expert predictions in a landmark twenty-year study, which he published in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/philip-tetlock-a-psychologist-at-the-university-of-pennsylvania/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“Why then should we form our political judgment on the basis of zero investment? We get what we pay for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/why-then-should-we-form-our-political-judgment-on-the-basis-of-zero/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [Any single man must judge for himself whether circumstances warrant obedience or resistance to the commands of the civil magistrate; we are all qualified,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/any-single-man-must-judge-for-himself-whether-circumstances-warrant/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [I don't believe any person looking for work is fearful of political judgment. Government is a large institution, and if they believe that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/i-don-t-believe-any-person-looking-for-work-is-fearful-of-political/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [Arlen Specter left the GOP because it is a lot easier to win in Pennsylvania as a Democrat than as a Republican. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/arlen-specter-left-the-gop-because-it-is-a-lot-easier-to-win-in/) [Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/) > [The Obama administration's large and sustained increases in debt raise the specter of another financial crisis and large future tax increases, further chilling business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hubbard/the-obama-administration-s-large-and-sustained-increases-in-debt/) [Glenn Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hubbard/) > [I'm attached to my children with whatever flaws they have, and if some glorious angel broke through the living room ceiling and offered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/i-m-attached-to-my-children-with-whatever-flaws-they-have-and-if-some/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) ## More by Richard Ben-Veniste > [With respect to the FBI, they had problems communicating in a vertical way, within the FBI itself, so that information of importance could get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/with-respect-to-the-fbi-they-had-problems-communicating-in-a-vertical/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [We've had public hearings. We've had interim reports, which our statute has encouraged us to provide to the public. We have brought the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/we-ve-had-public-hearings-we-ve-had-interim-reports-which-our-statute/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [In an age when many of our citizens casually reveal information about themselves in social media wildly beyond anything imaginable only a decade ago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/in-an-age-when-many-of-our-citizens-casually-reveal-information-about/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Without the tape-recorded evidence demonstrating irrefutably, in Nixon's own voice, his knowledge of and active involvement in obstruction of justice, it is likely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/without-the-tape-recorded-evidence-demonstrating-irrefutably-in-nixon/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Only the last two planes, I think, had any shot of being intercepted and taken down on 9/11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/only-the-last-two-planes-i-think-had-any-shot-of-being-intercepted/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [We've got a daunting enough task to provide a definitive account of what happened in 9/11, without fear or favor, something that will last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/we-ve-got-a-daunting-enough-task-to-provide-a-definitive-account-of/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Well, our concern has to do with the period prior to 9/11, up to and including the catastrophe that occurred. And thank goodness, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/well-our-concern-has-to-do-with-the-period-prior-to-9-11-up-to-and/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [When Richard M. Nixon resigned and Ford became the 38th president of the United States, the Watergate Special Prosecutor's Office, of which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/when-richard-m-nixon-resigned-and-ford-became-the-38th-president-of/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [No connection between Iraq and the 9/11 catastrophe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/no-connection-between-iraq-and-the-9-11-catastrophe/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [You can assert a fifth amendment privilege and not testify. But if you go in and swear to tell the truth, then you better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/you-can-assert-a-fifth-amendment-privilege-and-not-testify-but-if-you/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [I like Harvey Keitel. I liked him in Mean Streets. Im a fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/i-like-harvey-keitel-i-liked-him-in-mean-streets-im-a-fan/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Were there contacts over time between Iraq and al-Qaeda? Yes, there were efforts made to communicate. We found no evidence of collaboration in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/were-there-contacts-over-time-between-iraq-and-al-qaeda-yes-there/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [But as I said to Dr. Rice following her testimony, and I think she appreciated it, we had our job to do and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/but-as-i-said-to-dr-rice-following-her-testimony-and-i-think-she/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [Well, our statute provides us with authority to conduct a very broad inquiry basically to provide an investigation of 9/11 that's thorough, complete and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/well-our-statute-provides-us-with-authority-to-conduct-a-very-broad/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) > [The real question was, here we had this information, Bin Laden intends to strike in the United States. We knew they had struck before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/the-real-question-was-here-we-had-this-information-bin-laden-intends/) [Richard Ben-Veniste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) [Explore all 25 Richard Ben-Veniste quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's constitutional authority. The specter of a former president in the criminal dock as our country moved into its bicentennial year was profoundly disturbing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Ben-Veniste" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authority" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/richard-ben-veniste-23923_authority_at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-w_682931.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At bottom, the decision to pardon Nixon was a political judgment properly within the bounds of Ford's…” — Richard Ben-Veniste", "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": "Richard Ben-Veniste", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ben-veniste/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At bottom, the decision to pardon...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ben-veniste/at-bottom-the-decision-to-pardon-nixon-was-a-political-judgment/#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 } } ] } ```