Richard Nixon Was Apparently Obsessed with Panda Sex

[steve2470]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/richard-nixon-was-apparently-obsessed-with-panda-sex/

Of the many unusual moments recounted in Douglas Brinkley and Luke A. Nichter’s new book The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972 this one has to be one of the strangest. As the authors explain in a piece for The Washington Post’s appropriately-named PostEverything blog, President Richard Nixon was apparently fascinated by the mating habits of panda bears after his famous trip to China.

Shortly after his trip, China decided to gift a male and female panda to the National Zoo. But when Nixon leaked this news to The Washington Star’s foreign editor Crosby Noyes, he expressed some concerns about how they would learn to mate without the example of others pandas to observe.

Below is an excerpt of their conversation, followed by the full audio:

Nixon: Yeah. Oh, yes! Now, as a matter of fact, let me tell you an interesting thing about—that you must know, you can only use on your own if you want, but not on comment. I was just talking to Bob Haldeman who talked to his Chinese hosts, and this question of mating is very interesting. These are—This is a male and a female.

[mylye2222]

1. You got my laugh of the night!

They should sell The Nixon Tapes in the Blue Ray stores, in the section " Dark Humor"!!!!!!

[dawg]

2. That's why they won't release the lost portions of the Nixon White House tapes ....

they're afraid public airing of those tapes would result in sheer panda-moanium.

[NuclearDem]

3. Come on you damn panda, sock it to him!

[pinboy3niner]

4. 50 Shades of Black & White!

[steve2470]

5. I wonder if they like bamboo canes ? :p nt

[edbermac]

6. Panda porn?

[steve2470]

8. cute pic, squee even nt

[longship]

7. "I am not a pervert!" nt

[Buns_of_Fire]

9. Who can resist some hot panda-on-panda action, right Dick? nt

[NV Whino]

10. Well, this is one of the more interesting headlines today.

I can't believe we don't have a panda smilie. This the best I could do in appreciation of the headline.

[Hekate]

11. LOL, I hate to agree with Dick "Ratfucker" Nixon on anything, but pandas are interesting

Can't remember where I read it decades ago -- probably The Smithsonian magazine because I subscribed to it a lot longer than to National Geographic.

The point is: Pandas are extremely specific in their range of habitat, their diet, and their mating habits. So specific in fact that by the time I finished reading that article I realized that the only way for them to avoid extinction in a world with declining habitat was to move into human-run zoos. It's almost like they're just fine with not mating, unless they accidentally run into another panda at just the right moment.

The issue of declining habitat and degraded habitat is a serious one for all animals, but most of them are driven by their cyclical mating urges to such an extent that they will at least go far out of their way to find a mate. Pandas are content to stay where they are, rummaging around for bamboo.

The info I have is as old as Nixon's visit to China, so if I'm mistaken I'm sure others will jump right in and bring me up to date.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. "It's even better than cottage cheese and ketchup, Bob"

Okay file that away under shit i absolutely did NOT need to know.

[Blue Owl]

13. Unbearable...

[Throckmorton]

14. Wow, you are saying that like it is a bad thing.

Who isn't?

[smirkymonkey]

15. Too bad he wasn't around at the time...

Sexual Harassment Panda!

[DirkGently]

16. The most endearing Nixon anecdote I've ever heard. n/t