Jesse Walker on Skepticism and Nostalgia in the 70s

As the
Watergate scandal exploded and Richard Nixon’s hold on the
presidency started to slip, one group stood steadfast in its
commitment to the man in the West Wing. Its members took to
chanting “God needs Nixon” outside Congress’ Rayburn Office
Building. At the 1973 White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony,
over a thousand of them showed up to pay their respects. When the
president emerged to greet the throng, Garry Wills later reported
in Harper’s, “they knelt down to worship him.” They were Moonies,
writes Jesse Walker in the December 2014 issue of Reason.

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