Richard M. Nixon, also known by the username @dick_nixon, is a

parody account A parody account is a type of social media user account that portrays a fictionalized and usually comedic parody of a particular individual, personality, or organization, usually either a fictional character, brand, or public or historical figure. ...

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

and

Bluesky Bluesky is a microblogging social media social networking service, service. Users can share short posts containing text, images, and videos. It is owned by Bluesky Social PBC, a benefit corporation based in the United States. Bluesky was dev ...

created by playwright Justin Sherin. The account recreates the

mannerisms In human behavior, a mannerism is a peculiar, distinctive habit of a person. In particular, the term refers to an affected or exaggerated speech or actions. Often mannerisms are subtle and subconscious. They may be expressed in body language, ...

and speaking style of

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, 37th president of the United States, commenting on the politics and events of the day. The account has the following of numerous politicians and journalists on both social media networks, with many calling it an uncanny recreation of Nixon's political instincts and mannerisms.

Background

The account was created by Sherin, a playwright from New Jersey, in 2008. He initially tweeted excerpts from the

Nixon White House tapes Audio recordings of conversations between U.S. President Richard Nixon and Nixon administration officials, Nixon family members, and White House staff surfaced during the Watergate scandal in 1973 and 1974, leading to Nixon's resignation. In ...

. After abandoning the account for a few years, he returned to it in 2013, this time writing original tweets, using Nixon's old mannerisms, including using the phrase "My God", as the president did to convey shock or surprise. According to Associated Press writer Hillel Italie, the account "... is neither tribute nor parody but an uncanny reincarnation that has some Washington insiders and political junkies marveling that someone could so well capture the phrasing, savvy, tenacity, profanity and world view of our 37th president." Sherin said he was fascinated by Nixon's "weird" and "convoluted" way of expressing himself: "I try very hard either to use something that he did say in a similar context or that I could argue he would have said when faced with such a situation." According to Sherin, this version of Nixon is still alive and resides in

Saddle River, New Jersey Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of New York City, located just over northwest of Manhattan. The town is known for its natural fields, farmland, horse farms, forests, and rivers, and ...

with his wife Pat, vacations in

Key Biscayne, Florida Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Located on the island of Key Biscayne, the village is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 14,809 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...

and makes occasional trips to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

He also makes "press statements" – usually "President Nixon is resting" – through his former White House Press Secretary

Ron Ziegler Ronald Louis Ziegler (May 12, 1939 – February 10, 2003) was the 13th White House Press Secretary, serving during President Richard Nixon's administration. Early life Ziegler was born to Louis Daniel Ziegler, a production manager, and Ruby (Par ...

, signed "RZ", and comments on the main events of the day.

Reception

Elizabeth Drew Elizabeth Drew (born November 16, 1935) is an American political journalist and author. Early life Elizabeth Jane Brenner was born on November 16, 1935, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the daughter of William J. Brenner, a furniture manufacturer, a ...

, a Watergate historian and journalist, commented that " herinhas his voice and his mentality down cold. And he also makes me laugh." Journalist

Robert Draper Robert Draper (born November 15, 1959) is an American journalist, and author of '' Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives''. He is a journalist at ''The New York Times''. Previously, he worked for ''Texas Monthly'' a ...

remarked on Sherin's recreation of Nixon: "I never got to meet Nixon, so this is the next best thing for me." Political consultant John Weaver said: "He seems to know everything there is about Nixon. He also has the president's keen political analytical skills, and he has that streak within Nixon that undid the president."

References

External links

Richard M. Nixon
on

* *
Archived copy
on 8 December 2024.
Articles by "Dick Nixon"
on ''

Foreign Policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Nixon, Richard (parody)

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

Internet characters introduced in 2008 Parody social media accounts Twitter accounts

Background

Reception

See also

References

Further reading

External links