New Republic cites Fried in report on Nixon’s public opinion battle
Amy Fried, a professor of political science at the University of Maine, was quoted in The New Republic article, “How Richard Nixon lost the battle for public opinion.” The case for impeaching President Richard Nixon was not open and shut as far as the American public was concerned, according to the article. Today, public opinion has shifted dramatically since an impeachment inquiry was announced, with support for impeachment drawing even, or sometimes outpacing, opposition to it. While a clear majority does not yet favor removing President Donald Trump from office, Watergate provides clues about the president’s fate over the next year, the article states. Today, the number of independents is still high, but most voters reliably vote for one party. “There are fewer persuadable voters — not that there are none,” Fried said. “But to the extent that people are closely attached to a political party, they’re not going to change their views.”