Who is John Galt?

Richard Nixon struggled with Objectivism. Ayn Rand struggled with Richard Nixon.

During the 1964 Republican Primaries, Ayn Rand told Playboy: "I'm opposed to him [Richard Nixon]. I'm opposed to any compromiser or me-tooer, and Mr. Nixon is probably the champion in this regard." However four years later Rand went on to officially endorse the New Nixon in both 1968 and 1972. She subsequently wrote more articles criticizing Nixon, specifically "The Shanghai Gesture" (The Ayn Rand Letter; March 27, 1972).

Despite her criticism, Rand's ideals held a place in the Nixon Administration. Her influence, in part, spurred Nixon to work with Greenspan in ’68 and appoint him to the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in 1974. When sworn in, Rand stood at his side. From the New York Times:

Miss Rand's views were much in demand in 1974, when President Richard M. Nixon named Alan Greenspan, the economics consultant, to become chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers. It turned out that Miss Rand had been the mentor and a 20-year close friend to Mr. Greenspan.

Miss Rand helped persuade the somewhat reluctant Mr. Greenspan to join the Government so he could put their confidence in the capitalist spirit into action. ''I helped Alan to analyze what was involved,'' she told an interviewer that year. ''But, of course, the decision was his own.''

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Throughout Rand's lifetime, Greenspan was a stalwart member of Ayn Rand's intellectual inner circle, which included the privilege of reading Fountainhead while it was being written. In fact Greenspan's ardent support of the gold standard and other Objectivist strongholds can be seen in his articles written in Rand's Objectivist newsletters.

Rand went on to support Gerald Ford; but that would mark her departure from the Republican Party. Rand was fiercely opposed to Ronald Reagan saying his "mixture of capitalism and religion," was "representative of the worst kind of conservatism."

It is time for a refresher on Objectivism. "The relief of the poor is not the goal of my existence."