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The President/Mr. Kissinger
Brought in 4/4/71 (Tape)
- 5 -
I think that people have had so much of that, you know. You've got to grin
and bear it.
K:
No, they've got to have some hope, too.
P:
There's got to be
It must have lift, and we've got to speak with
confidence and so forth and therefore the negatives with regard to 'well, even
though this means a defeat
I mean I'm inclined to think that we ought to
in terms of tone, it should be more one of 'well, we are coming to the end.
Confident. You know what I mean. Just.
They've just got to be reassured.
The American people right now, you know, are in sort of a psychological
depression and the reason they are in that depression, Henry, is this God-damned
television.
K:
That's right.
P:
It's just been pounding them night after night. It is just shameful.
Look what it does to people. No wonder it depresses them. So what we have
to do is to cheer them up a little. I have rewritten the beginning in a very
I mean
you don't have to look at any of that. I don't want anybody to waste
any time on the meat and potatoes -- I'll take care of that, until I get it done
in the way I want to say it, and then it's the conclusion where we need some
good extra thinking. But the beginning, rather than just starting out, you know,
'well, I'm going to announce
I'm announcing tonight.
1
I'm
going
to
start
right out probably in something like this. "Over the past several weeks, you
have heard a number of discouraging reports on TV, radio and in your newspapers
on the situation in Southeast Asia. I think the time has come for me, as
President and as Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, to put these reports
in perspective to lay out all the pertinent facts before you -- and to let you
judge for yourself as to the success of our policy. I'm glad to be able to begin
my report with some good news. On May 1st. You see what I
mean.
Start right out that way. You don't just start out and say, well, in the old way
'I'm announcing tonight a new withdrawal. I think the people -- you disarm
them immediately by saying 'look, you've been hearing a lot of stuff, but now
I just want to tell you, tain't all that bad'. See.
K:
And I would put in.
I would perhaps go a little further and not just say,
"It's not that bad. 11 I'd say, "In fact, (something like) we believe that the events
this year have been a plus" or something like this.
P:
I've got that in later.
K:
"And as a result, we can increase.
"
to show some relationship
between what has happened.
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"ocrText": "The President/Mr. Kissinger\nBrought in 4/4/71 (Tape)\n- 5 -\nI think that people have had so much of that, you know. You've got to grin\nand bear it.\nK:\nNo, they've got to have some hope, too.\nP:\nThere's got to be\nIt must have lift, and we've got to speak with\nconfidence and so forth and therefore the negatives with regard to 'well, even\nthough this means a defeat\nI mean I'm inclined to think that we ought to\nin terms of tone, it should be more one of 'well, we are coming to the end.\nConfident. You know what I mean. Just.\nThey've just got to be reassured.\nThe American people right now, you know, are in sort of a psychological\ndepression and the reason they are in that depression, Henry, is this God-damned\ntelevision.\nK:\nThat's right.\nP:\nIt's just been pounding them night after night. It is just shameful.\nLook what it does to people. No wonder it depresses them. So what we have\nto do is to cheer them up a little. I have rewritten the beginning in a very\nI mean\nyou don't have to look at any of that. I don't want anybody to waste\nany time on the meat and potatoes -- I'll take care of that, until I get it done\nin the way I want to say it, and then it's the conclusion where we need some\ngood extra thinking. But the beginning, rather than just starting out, you know,\n'well, I'm going to announce\nI'm announcing tonight.\n1\nI'm\ngoing\nto\nstart\nright out probably in something like this. \"Over the past several weeks, you\nhave heard a number of discouraging reports on TV, radio and in your newspapers\non the situation in Southeast Asia. I think the time has come for me, as\nPresident and as Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, to put these reports\nin perspective to lay out all the pertinent facts before you -- and to let you\njudge for yourself as to the success of our policy. I'm glad to be able to begin\nmy report with some good news. On May 1st. You see what I\nmean.\nStart right out that way. You don't just start out and say, well, in the old way\n'I'm announcing tonight a new withdrawal. I think the people -- you disarm\nthem immediately by saying 'look, you've been hearing a lot of stuff, but now\nI just want to tell you, tain't all that bad'. See.\nK:\nAnd I would put in.\nI would perhaps go a little further and not just say,\n\"It's not that bad. 11 I'd say, \"In fact, (something like) we believe that the events\nthis year have been a plus\" or something like this.\nP:\nI've got that in later.\nK:\n\"And as a result, we can increase.\n\"\nto show some relationship\nbetween what has happened."
}