Richard Milhous Nixon, January 9, 1913 (Yorba Linda, Calif.) – April 22, 1994 (New York, NY)
VP candidate for Independent (1976)
VP candidate for Memphis American Party (1976)
Running mate with nominee (Independent): Richard C. Collins (b. ca1923)
Running mate with nominee (Memphis American Party): Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign (Collins):
Richard C. Collins, a mail carrier from San Ramon, Calif. ran for President as an independent in 1976. He made news when he offered the Vice-Presidential slot to disgraced former President Richard Nixon. "If he repented, it would be a story of the prodigal son, which is the best way to get Watergate behind us." But Mr. Nixon apparently never answered his letters, meaning (at least for the purposes of this blog) that he was the running mate by default.
Collins pointed that if, as a federal employee President Ford still receives full pay while campaigning then he, as an employee of the Postal Service, should be granted leave with pay in order to electioneer as well. Ford should be impeached, Collins said, because "When he's campaigning, he's not serving the nation, he's serving himself."
Nixon had accepted a "full, free, and absolute pardon" from President Ford on Sept. 8, 1974 which created a controversy that still hung in the air during the election of 1976 and very possibly cost Ford this close election.
One of the advantages of Collins' proposal to Nixon was that the ex-President already had eight years of experience as the actual Vice-President of the United States 1953-1961. Since Nixon was basically invited NOT to campaign for any Republicans in 1976, Collins' pretty much was one of the few people running for office giving Nixon a chance to join the team.
Running as a write-in and campaigning mostly via press releases, Collins' platform on education included the proposal to "teach creation in the schools because evolution is a farce-- it has no basis in fact and is playing into the hands of the Communists and their teaching of atheism."
Popular vote results for the Collins/Nixon ticket were not reported.
The campaign (Presley):
The Presley/Nixon campaign appeared to be limited to a novelty poster promoting the Memphis American Party. It included a photo of the bizarre event where Elvis paid a surprise visit to the White House in Dec. 1970. Oddly, when I visited Graceland a couple years ago I looked but did not find any mention in the exhibits of this historic meeting. Perhaps I just missed it, there was a lot to see. But Elvis' collection of law enforcement badges, which was connected to his visit with Nixon, was part of the Graceland gallery of artifacts.
Promoting Elvis for President had been a regular event with varying degrees of energy since the 1950s. It always fascinated me how Presley and Nixon, two gentlemen who were major figures in the 'fifties, had been eclipsed overnight by more popular replacements around the same era. The Beatles over Elvis, and the Kennedys over Nixon. Presley was alleged to have warned Nixon about the social danger of the Beatles.
If Elvis had died in office as he died at home in 1977, Nixon would not have been eligible to become President due to the 22nd Amendment. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill (D-Mass.) would have become President. Probably. This unlikely scenario has never been tested.
Elvis and Nixon are both buried on grounds devoted to perpetuating their memory, Elvis at Graceland and Nixon at his Presidential Library and Museum. After the White House, Graceland is the second most visited home in America. He's still The King.
Election history:
1947-1950 - US House of Representatives (Calif.) (Republican)
1950-1953 - US Senate (Calif.) (Republican)
1953-1961 - US Vice-President (Republican)
1960 - US President (Republican) - defeated
1962 - Governor of California (Republican) - defeated
1969-1974 - US President (Republican) - resigned
1980 - US President (Nostalgia Party) - defeated
Other occupations: grocery worker, soldier (WWII), attorney, author, Commander-in-Chief
Buried: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
Notes:
Quaker.
Played the piano
