As everyone here knows, President Richard Nixon came to Spokane in early May of 1974 to open the world's fair.

Less than 100 days later, he was forced to resign the presidency.

So I have to ask. In terms of his political career, would he have been better off if he had simply stayed in Spokane?

Yes, Watergate would not have gone away. The same uncomfortable questions would have come up.

But what if he had maintained that he was having such a good time at Expo '74 that he wanted to spend his whole summer in the Lilac City? Might it have slowed his political demise?

He could have holed up in a leftover Cold War bomb shelter on the South Hill and perhaps taught a summer session of poli-sci at GU. He could have played a lot of golf and worked on his tan.

OK, probably not. I guess that all sounds a bit far-fetched. Sooner or later, the good people of Spokane would have suggested he go back East and face the music. 

Next: What ever became of those long-ago rumors that Elvis, who supposedly died a week from today in 1977, secretly moved to Spokane and got a job at a North Side auto parts store?

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