Gate has become synonymous with scandal. Any story salacious enough-be it in the world of sports, politics, business, or even the arts-will have these four letters tacked onto the end as a medal of demerit. This linguistic legacy illustrates how incredible the Watergate story was.
In 1972 five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee's headquarters. This was the beginning of the Watergate scandal, named after the office complex where the men were caught, which would end with the resignation of the US President and the imprisonment of 25 others.
Money found on the arrested men connected them to Richard Nixon's re-election campaign. Though the administration attempted to cover-up the story and their connection to it, this initial lead was seized on by investigative reporters who slowly began to unravel the thread and reveal Nixon's own complicity.
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, relying on anonymous sources, were integral in all of this. Chief among these sources was 'Deep Throat'; later revealed to be FBI deputy director, William Mark Felt Sr. Together these men helped bring the full extent of the Watergate scandal to public attention. This eventually forced articles of impeachment to be brought against President Nixon, whose only response was to resign in 1974.
That same year Woodward and Bernstein published a book of their exploits. All The President's Men became a great success, but, more importantly, came to the attention of Robert Redford who became set on bringing this story to the silver screen.
In 1976, with Nixon's successor Gerald Ford set to contest his first presidential election, All The President's Men was released. A critical success this movie not only picked up numerous awards but also, arguably, helped Jimmy Carter secure the White House for the Democrats and launched an untold number of journalist careers.
Join Patrick as he talks with a panel of experts about this movie, how well it told the Watergate scandal, and the impact it has had on the world.
