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From Buchanan and Khachigian to Haldeman and MacGregor RE: an analysis of the Democratic Party after its National Convention in 1972. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/7/1972
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From Buchanan and Khachigian to Haldeman and MacGregor RE: an analysis of the Democratic Party after its National Convention in 1972. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/7/1972
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
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1
30
7/7/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan and Khachigian to
Haldeman and MacGregor RE: an analysis of
the Democratic Party after its National
Convention in 1972. 4 pgs.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Page 1 of 1
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 7, 1972
THOUGHTS ON THE POST-CONVENTION
(Democratic)
MEMORANDUM TO:
H.R. HALDEMAN
CLARK MAC GREGOR
FROM:
PATRICK J. BUCHANAN
KEN KHACHIGIAN
This memo deals with strategy thoughts strictly for the period
between the conventions.
DISENCHANTED DEMOCRATS
This is the first priority. No sooner should the dust have settled
from the Democratic Convention (a few days following, perhaps) than
a National Democrats for Nixon should be formed publicly to serve
as an "umbrella" for all of the less bold fence-straddlers to join.
We should move fast on the Democrats, post Miami Beach, as they
will be most vulnerable immediately following the convention. If
we have a number of Democrats already locked in, to either abandon
their ticket, or bolt the party -- we should trickle these out, state-by-
state -- not drop them all at once.
In our judgment, if we have a choice it is far better for Democrats
to stay in their party, and denounce McGovern -- than to switch parties
now.
Elitism and extremism in the Democratic Party should form the
basis of the abandonment of McGovern -- followed by support and
endorsement of RN. But, in my view, the former is the more important
news story.
Also, if a figure is immensely prominent, his departure should
be for national television. But someone like Mills Godwin should
have done it from a platform in Richmond.
Page 2
In addition, we should focus upon and publish not simply
major names, but the minor ones -- state legislators and the
Line and publish those names in ads in the "swing states"
especially. The purpose is to leave the impression of massive
defections, not just major ones, from the Democratic Ticket.
We should be working on these people right now all over the
various swing states.
Sometime during the campaign, this fall, we need a national
press conference, and a national mailing to all political writers
etc. listing the hundreds of Democratic party officials who have
publicly abandoned the McGovern ticket. The idea, of course,
is to create a stampede so that the fence-straddlers and others
who want to hang in there will at the least be publicly
ng themselves from McGovern.
Also, in this time, GOPers running for State Legislature,
Senator, Congressmen, should be instructed to force
ents to take a stand for or against McGovern and his
(This might well involve mailing a copy of the McGovern
Assault Book to every GOP candidate, with instructions on how to
use it).
THE SHAFTING OF WALLACE
If this is a credible argument, it should be made intensively
by our people. That Wallace who had more votes than any other
candidate, before California, was stripped of delegates and dignity
by the radicals at Miami. That the convention which was supposed
to be "democratic" ended up stealing his delegates, and denying
him the rightful claim to a voice in the platform. The Party is
highly unlikely to buy the Wallace positions as announced today
on national TV; we should go directly to these voters -- and the
GOP Platform should mirror some of the Governor's concerns.
On matters of defense, bussing, welfare, responsiveness of
government, etc. this should not be difficult.
1701 (RNC) should be collecting assiduously all of the negative
statements by Wallace people about their treatment at Miami and
about the Democratic Platform; we already have some excellent
ones that will go into the Briefing Book.
Page 3
CONVENTION
The then
If bey can't unite their party, how can they
unite the country; if they can't even run an orderly convention,
how can they run the United States, " the same one used in 1968
is a natural.
THE MC GOVERN SMEAR
Again, clearly the McGovern answer to any and all attacks
will be to charge the "Old Nixon" with his "smear" tactics. The
response to Stein demonstrated this. We will have five or six of
the most egregious McGovern attacks listed -- and out to all
speakers, with a short memo by convention's end -- if McGovern is
nominated. At that point we ought to elevate all of these horrible
statements, and demand to know if McGovern intends to campaign on the
issues -- or to continue in this vein of comparing RN with Hitler,
calling his Administration "racist" etc. McGovern is still being
illowed to get away with being "the most decent man in the Senate"
and his rhetoric has been the wildest of any man in recent political
history.
THE ESTABLISHMENT THEME
We ought to set this early that McGovern is not the candidate
of the people, but of a small elite, of New Leftists, the elitist
children, etc. Again, this impression should be made early
in the campaign, before many voters have made their minds up.
McGovern theme is certain to be to make himself the "candidate of
the people" against the "candidate of the politicians, i.e. us. We
have to get in early with this elitist idea; we have to capture the
Establishment theme early.
Again, my great concern is that McGovern may successfully
establish himself as underdog, anti-Establishment, "out" candidate.
Our speaking resources, early, should be directed to thrusting
us into the position of the candidate of the common man, in the
titanic struggle with the power of the Eastern Establishment.
Page 4
THE WAFFLER
Again, another strength of McGovern's which will necessarily
be weakened post-convention is his reputation for "candor, honesty,"
"you know where he stands, " nonsense. He will start moving, he
already is moving on the issues right now -- and there is no
contradiction between nailing him with his $1000 giveaway program
one day, and denouncing him for "trimming" by abandoning it the
next. For McGovern, movement in and of itself can be damaging --
because his whole campaign program is "Right from the Start. 11 We
should nail every shift, every movement -- and nail that "Right from
the Start, 11 right from the start.
Buchanan
Note: Have read the McGovern Book in part and analyzed
his ads to a degree, and will have some followup thoughts on the
"character" of McGovern and where he is investing his resources,
what issues, what personality traits.