Question about John Dean for people who lived through Watergate [View all]
I was born after Watergate. The only things I know about Watergate are through news articles, documentaries and the history books. So I didn't actually live it as it happened.
John Dean emerged from Watergate as one of its heroes. Since then, he has established himself as an authority on the dangers of unchecked presidential power and abuses of office. These days he does carry the reputation of being a patriot.
However, prior to the Watergate it's undoubtedly true he was a key player in some of Nixon's worst abuses. He was the author of the infamous "Enemies List". And while he turned against Nixon because he logically did not want to end up as the scapegoat, it still bears noting he had his hands dirty up to that point.
My question is, what was the general perception of John Dean pre-Watergate? Was he just a team player who wanted to please his boss so he did what he needed to do to get along? Or was he a key architect of dirty tricks, much like a Karl Rove type?
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