Remember John Mitchell: Law and Order Man?

John Newton Mitchell (1913 – 1988) was inarguably the most powerful person in the Nixon cabinet. Mitchell and Nixon first met in 1967 when their respective law firms merged. Friends by ‘68, Nixon persuaded Mitchell to manage his 1968 bid for the U.S. presidency.

Once elected, Nixon rewarded the superbly organized Mitchell by appointing him attorney general, a position Mitchell reluctantly accepted and then held from 1969 to 1972.

Mitchell resigned in 1972 to manage President Nixon’s triumphant reelection campaign. At that point, of course, Mitchell’s biography takes an even more dramatic turn… (but more about that in the next post).

In the meantime, please peruse Mitchell’s two early memories and select what you predict is his worldview. Cast your vote in the poll to the right, and, as always, thank you for voting!

When interviewed about his childhood, John Mitchell begins by saying his was a "normal" childhood, "like Huck Finn,” he says, filled with playing all the sports: baseball, hockey, golf, hunting, fishing, and sailing…and “mischief.” As he speaks, Mitchell begins laughing to himself about a specific memory from childhood involving his “old wooden school.” As he recounts the memory, Mitchell’s laughter becomes so robust that he has trouble finishing his story!

(1.) “One night a fire burned the school clear down to the ground. Whole damned school went. My brother and I were there, and we watched it. We were so damned glad to see that thing burn down. We watched it! We threw our books into the fire. We were so glad. We just threw out books in. My father gave us a good whack. I’ll always remember that. Whew!”

Telling the school memory prompts Mitchell to tell a second childhood memory.

(2.) “You know, I burned down the house in Blue Point. It was one Fourth of July. We had sparklers, and it was daylight and, you know, we were supposed to wait until after dark. Well, I was a kid who didn’t want to wait, so I took some of those sparklers down under the porch and – well, it burned down the house.”

Although these two memories clearly reveal Mitchell’s worldview, something even more interesting makes them doubly valuable: They aren’t true.

According to others in a position to know, the first story is complete fiction in terms of Mitchell's involvement, and the second only slightly authentic in that a few leaves supposedly catch fire from Mitchell's lit sparklers, but an adult standing nearby douses out the tiny flame with a pail of water. The house never burns down – nor the porch. (Both memories are taken from The Strong Man by James Rosen, copyright 2008.)

Because Mitchell makes them up, these two memories are even more compelling… and more telling.

With all of this in mind, what is John Mitchell’s worldview? (Correct answer in red.)
1. I am the devil’s advocate. (42%)
2. I am above the standard. (42%)
3. I can cheat. (14%)
4. Nice guys are never rewarded. (0%)