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    "title": "WHSF: Contested, 1-27",
    "description": "This file contains:\n\nFrom Buchanan to Colson RE: campaign points from a recent meeting with Harris. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 4/17/1972\n\nCopy of a memo from Colson for \"The File\" RE: campaign suggestions from Harris. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 4/3/1972",
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        "Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection",
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/47/1442/26144247/content/presidential-libraries/nixon/RN-RET/2546065/Contested-Box-1/Contested-01-27.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nContested Materials Collection\nFolder List\nBox Number\nFolder Number\nDocument Date\nNo Date\nSubject\nDocument Type\nDocument Description\n1\n27\n4/17/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Buchanan to Colson RE: campaign\npoints from a recent meeting with Harris. 1\npg.\n1\n27\n4/3/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nCopy of a memo from Colson for \"The File\"\nRE: campaign suggestions from Harris. 4 pgs.\nMonday, September 13, 2010\nPage 1 of 1\n[Item N-1]\nApril 17, 1972\nMEMORANDUM TO: CHARLES COLSON\nFROM:\nPAT BUCHANAN\nHarris made some interesting points when you spoke with\nhim. The primary one with which I agree fully is that the\nPresident at all costs should avoid \"stridency\" and crass\npartisanship, and any manner of attack upon his opposition\nwhich is seen as inconsistent with his position as leader of\nall the people. As for the bland campaign, too early to call\nthat one. There may be an issue on which the President can\nwin, by elevating it in the public focus, as he did in November\n1969. And should we appear bland and unemotional -- while\nthe Democratic Party has whipped up an emotional anti-\nestablishment campaign -- we could be writing our own death.\nThe stridency point should be kept before us at all times --\nbut to lock in to a bland campaign now would be unwise -- there\nare issues which transcend party, on which we are on the\nmajority side -- and heating up these issues, could turn to our\nadvantage.\nA final note -- I would not trust Harris so far as one could\nthrow him. He has long been in Teddy White's phrase, a\n\"Kennedy fanatic, 11 and I would not be surprised if Kennedy were\nnot getting cargonas of what he sends to you.\nBuchanan\n[Item N.2]\n.NDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nEYES ONLY\nApril 3, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE\nSUBJECT: Random Thoughts from Lou Harris\nHarris believes that the President needs, between now\nand the election, to continually create \"straw men\". Meany\naffords us the best opportunity, but we've got to work at creating\nothers -- deliberate enemies. The President is against those who\nplunged us into Vietnam but now want to sell out America's honor.\nThe President is against those retailers who over-charge consumers.\nThe middle man example in the food price issue is a perfect illustra-\ntion. If there isn't a natural villain, create one so that the President\ncan be the defender of the public interest against natural enemies.\nHarris believes that the President should be forceful but not\nstrident; that whenever he is strident, the President brings out the\nhostility of a latent anti-Nixon feeling which still exists with a large\nbody of people, but that when he is deliberate, quiet, rational, forceful,\nhe does not engender this latent hostility.\n2.\nHarris believes that we should downplay the campaign through-\nif\nout the year, make it as boring as possible. Harris believes that a\nbland campaign will help us in that we will benefit greatly from a low\nturnout. Also, people react better to the President if he does not\npolarize on gut issues. This does not mean that we should not address\nthe issues; we should defuse as many as possible, but not arouse the\npassions of the electorate with a very divisive issue that might bring\nout our opponents (as with anti-labor legislation, for example).\nHarris believes the key to our success is in avoiding having the\nAmerican electorate act emotionally or precipitously with respect to the\nPresident's candidacy. He points out that as his pollsters question people,\nthey get a better response after the questioning than at the outset. More\npeople favor the President's re-election after they have been walked\nthrough the issues than when they are first confronted with the question\ncold, \"Do you favor the President as against Candidate X?\"\nOne of the President's strong points is that people think he is\ntrying hard. He is beginning to develop a characteristic of sincerity,\nthat he is really working at solving the problems. Harris advises that\nwe should articulate everything we do rationally, calmly, quietly, and\nforcefully. Make people think, make people thoughtful. Do not provoke\ninstant emotional reactions. The President's style has come through very\n3.\nwell as being deliberate. We should not let him go swinging or\noverreacting. If our opponent becomes strident, we should take it\nin stride. The more irresponsible the opposition becomes, the\nmore the President is helped in being looked at as a solid, steady,\nstrong and deliberate statesman. Be the \"solid brick in the middle\"\nHarris suggests. Ask people to think of the issues seriously.\nIn this same vein, we should turn the lack of so-called charisma\ninto an asset, arguing that no one has the right to use the office of\nPresidency for the development of a personality cult, that personal\npromotion is not the measure of one's success as President. One\ncannot run the country through charm, rather through ability. Nixon's\nstyle is to be serious and dedicated, that that is more important than\npersonal image.\nHarris believes that Nixon's image is now being sharpened\nas a rational, thoughtful, deliberate leader, all of which can be\ndestroyed if there is a spontaneous reaction or a sharp galvanizing of\nthe opposition in the months ahead. Harris believes that if people\nare asked calmly and quietly to think through the choice for President,\nthat the President cannot be beaten by any of the present Democratic\nPresidential candidates. If on the other hand, the election turns into\n4.\na heated, highly controversial, emotionally charged campaign,\nwe will simply bring out enough anti votes to defeat us; there are just\nmore of them than us and if we galvanize them, we (not the Democratic\ncandidates) can beat ourselves. The key at the moment is to maintain\nthe tone that we have presently achieved and to hold it throughout the\nelection year.\nWR\nCharles W. Colson"
}