# WHO WAS DEEP THROAT **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 1, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977 "2001-05-01T19:48:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gorewonfla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@gorewonfla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorewonfla)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/1 "2001-05-01T19:48:41Z")
I recently wrote a thesis paper saying John Dean was Deep Thorat, but I’d like to hear what other people think. ---
**Author:** ![Tominator2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e36b37/32.png) [@Tominator2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tominator2)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/2 "2001-05-01T20:29:31Z")
My favorite suspect was Al Haig. Apparently either Woodward or Bernstein (or both) know who it really is, but won’t talk until Deep Throat is dead. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/3 "2001-05-01T20:40:32Z")
Everybody knows it’s Lind… ::Thinks a second time about making this stupid remark, and ducks back out of the thread:: ---
**Author:** ![kmudd20001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce73a5/32.png) [@kmudd20001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmudd20001)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/4 "2001-05-01T20:40:32Z")
According to the book “Silent Coop” it was Al Haig. Woodword serve under Haig when he was in the army. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/5 "2001-05-01T22:03:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe\_Cool \* > \*\*Everybody knows it’s Lind… > ::Thinks a second time about making this stupid remark, and ducks back out of the thread:: \*\* Damnit Cool, you beat me to it. What about Pat Buchannan? Seeing that no one suspects him makes him the perfect suspect if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![kmudd20001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce73a5/32.png) [@kmudd20001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmudd20001)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/6 "2001-05-01T22:07:58Z")
I have also heard it was Ben Stein. He grew up with Carl Bernstein . ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/7 "2001-05-01T22:18:14Z")
I always thought Deep Throat was none other than Nixon himself. He leaks info to Woodward so as to disrupt the proceedings leading up to his impeachment…he’s tired of the whole mess so he manufactures a situation in order to resign…all so that he dosen’t have to hand over the tapes! But… since he died and Woodward still hasn’t confirmed Deep Throat’s ID, that theory’s shot to hell. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/8 "2001-05-01T22:20:00Z")
My best guess is somebody in the White House Counsel’s office, since they would have had access to a lot of information and the breach of confidentiality would give them an excellent reason to stay anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/9 "2001-05-01T22:21:48Z")
I’ve always liked the Ben Stein theory myself. Oh, and **gorewonfla** , huh? No, he didn’t. Bear in mind that the goal here is to fight ignorance, not encourage it. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/10 "2001-05-01T22:32:36Z")
I vote for Diane Sawyer. She says it’s “laughable”, which may be a roundabout way of saying “yes, ha ha, it’s me!” ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/11 "2001-05-01T22:36:51Z")
Right here. I’de be happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/12 "2001-05-01T22:46:24Z")
> [@](#): > > I’de be. . . This is why my brief career as an informant was primarily in the medium of _verbal_ communication. I once wrote a detailed (and completely accurate) description of Truman’s unfortunate predilection for choir boys in ankle socks. It was mocked by those smug bastards at the New York _Times_. I quote: “Hey, what’s a ‘rimjobe.’ Ha Ha . . . fucking idiot.” Oh, the humiliation. . . ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/13 "2001-05-01T22:51:10Z")
Hmph. Strike the period after “rimjobe.” Outside quotation marks, insert “?”. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/14 "2001-05-02T01:27:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by enolancooper \* > \*\*I always thought Deep Throat was none other than Nixon himself. He leaks info to Woodward so as to disrupt the proceedings leading up to his impeachment…he’s tired of the whole mess so he manufactures a situation in order to resign…all so that he dosen’t have to hand over the tapes! > \*\* I love this theory! The only question is be why would Tricky Dick nark on himself in secret while also denying everything in public? Because he was mad, I tell you! Mad, mad!😛 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/15 "2001-05-02T02:04:54Z")
Kissinger-it was Kissinger! ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/16 "2001-05-02T03:06:07Z")
You mean it wasn’t Linda Lovelace? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/17 "2001-05-02T03:33:35Z")
Ha! It was Jimmy James. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/18 "2001-05-02T04:43:09Z")
Like many people, I think Deep Throat was a fiction. He didn’t exist. Woodward and Bernstein had a lot of solid leads, but no one reliable informant, so they made one up. Deep Throat was probably a composite of many people. The fact that Woodward and Bernstein say they’ll only reveal his identity after he dies strikes me as VERY convenient. Suppose that, after Al Haig dies, they claim it was him. How would we ever know that was the truth? Haig won’t be alive to confirm it! Look, Nixon is dead. Almost all of Nixon’s closest advisors are dead or long out of politics. There could be NO possible retribution against Deep Throat if his identity were revealed. Sorry, there is NO necessity for keeping his identity secret… IF he exists, that is. I suspect he DOESN’T exist, and that’s the real secret Woodward and Bernstein are trying to keep. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/19 "2001-05-02T12:09:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry, there is NO necessity for keeping his identity secret… Sure there is: “A promise made is a debt unpaid.” If Woodward promised him not to reveal the identity until he was dead, that’s a good reason. Journalistic ethics take that sort of promise to an informant very seriously. A good journalist won’t reveal a secret source unless the secret source gives permission. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977/20 "2001-05-02T23:01:47Z")
FWIW, I saw an interview with G. Gordon Liddy a long time ago in which he said he was sure that John Dean was Deep Throat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-deep-throat/63977.md?page=2)