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    "title": "WHSF: Contested, 3-55",
    "description": "This file contains:\n\nFrom Colson to MacGregor RE: strategies for RN to use to win Massachusetts. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/5/1972\n\nFrom Colson to Mitchell RE: a meeting with Lou Harris on key electoral counties around the country. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/19/1972\n\nFrom Colson to Mitchell RE: problems with \"Monday.\" 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 4/5/1972\n\nFrom Colson to Magruder RE: speechwriting advice prompted by a poorly-written piece to be delivered by Rog Morton. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 2/4/1972",
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/93/1445/26144593/content/presidential-libraries/nixon/RN-RET/2546065/Contested-Box-3/Contested-03-55.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\n3\n55\n7/5/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Colson to MacGregor RE: strategies\nfor RN to use to win Massachusetts. 2 pgs.\n3\n55\n5/19/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Colson to Mitchell RE: a meeting with\nLou Harris on key electoral counties around\nthe country. 1 pg.\n3\n55\n4/5/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Colson to Mitchell RE: problems with\n\"Monday.\" 1 pg.\n3\n55\n2/4/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Colson to Magruder RE: speechwriting\nadvice prompted by a poorly-written piece to\nbe delivered by Rog Morton. 1 pg.\nMonday, October 25, 2010\nPage 1 of 1\nJuly 5, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nCLARK MACGREGOR\nFROM:\nCHARLES COLSON\nSUBJECT:\nMassachusetts Polling\nBased on the latest Becker poll which was published in yesterday's\nBoston Globe, Massachusetts is a real battleground. McGovern leads\nNixon, 47 to 44. It is true that as the campaign heats up the Democratic\nstrength might increase, but one shouldn't overlook the fact that Ed\nBrohke will be running on the ticket and should win by at least 2 to 1,\nperhaps even better. If this is the case, there would be enough rub-\noff for us to carry the state if the situation remains as it is today.\nAlso, McGovern's anti-Catholic issues can hurt him very badly in\na state that is 60% Catholic.\nIf we are running this well in Massachusetts, then we probably won't\nneed the state because we'll have enough electoral votes Misewhere.\nOn the other hand, it would be a damn shame not to make some effort\nin the state. So far as I know, we do not even have a chairman appointed\nyet which is a situation that I know you will quickly remedy. If you want\nany help in this area, I know the personalities up there, as do Richardson\nand Colpe. 1 would.net appoint the Governor, who wants the job. He is\nvery unpopular, in a lot of trouble and he will from time to time during\nthe campaign badmouth us which puts him, it seems to me, in quite an\nawkward position. Believe me, the Governor is not worth a damn, even\nfor fund-raising and he has alienated most of the Republican Party. Ed\nBrooke would make a superb campaign chairman but Ed may not be able\nto do it in view of the fact he is running for the Senate. Peggy Heckler\nmay have no opponent in which case she would be first rate. Silvie Conte\nmay have no opponent and a combination of Heckler and Conte would be\ntremendous. Also, there is a gal by the name of Malone who is very,\nvery effective and was a co-chairman, I believe, in the '68 campaign.\n2.\nFrom my previous experience in Massachusetts politics, I can make one\nobservation. The polls will never be completely accurate. The Republicans\ncan be gotten out to vote, whereas the Democratic turnout will not be as\nheavy as it should be. This is just the way things are and, therefore, a\npoll which shows a two or three point spread can be overcome at election\ntime by getting the Republican areas well organized. We learned this in\n1960. We were reaning only two points ahead in the polls in Saltonatall's\ncampaign, but we won 56-44 simply by virtue of better organization. That\nwas even in a year when Kennedy was heading the ballot on the Democratic\nside.\nThe conclusion of this is that I would put some effort, make a show, work\nhard on organisation and we might have fourteen electoral votes that we\nhaven't been counting on. Also, the impact of our campaigning there rubs\noff in Connecticut which is a state that we, in my opinion, should make a\nmajor effort to carry.\nMay 19, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nJOHN MITCHELL\nFROM:\nCHARLES COLSON\nLou Harris offered today to spend some time with us analyzing\nkey counties around the country that can be influenced by\nspecific issues. Lou said that he has spent years studying\npoll data in specific areas and he could possibly give us some\nadvise and help in this area. I suggested that he meet with\nTeetor. Lou said in viewoof his great concern with not\ncompromising his position publicly, he would prefer to meet\nwith me and one or two other trusted, closed-mouthed political\noperatives. He, by the way, has a very high regard for Teetor.\nTherefore, if you think he could be helpful, perhaps you would\nlike to suggest someone he might want to sit down with who could\npick his brains. For whatever it is worth, in passing he observed\nthat McComb County can swing the entire state of Michigan. It\nis always over 60% Democratic in Presidential elections. On the\nbusing issue, Harris believes it can be flipped the other way and\nIf we get a majority in McComb County, we would win the balance\nof the state. As Lou puts it, he has a very good feel of the\npolitical map of the country. He may not know any more than we\nknow and perhaps he knows even less, but on the other hand, we\nmight get some benefit from listening to his views. It also doesn't\nhurt in our effort to keep Harris friendly, To have him feel helpful,\nThe more vested interest, the better.\n1701\nApril 5, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nJOHN MITCHELL\nFROM:\nCHARLES COLSON\nAs we discussed this morning, you might find the attached from\nTom Evans of some interest. I was pressing Lofton for two things:\n1.\nGet the attack in Monday off Muskie and spread it around to\nsome other Democrats, a position which I know you and I\nstrongly felt to be correct. You remember we discussed it\non a couple of occasions.\n2. To defend Kleindienst and attack the Democ ratic smear\ncampaign being waged against him. I just can't understand\nMonday making the unilaterial decision that they wouldn't\ndefend the Administration and Kleindienst's nomination without\nat least calling us to discuss it.\nAll that this points up is what has been a continuing problem: refusal\nfrom time to time to deal with the issues we ask them to deal with,\nbut much more important than that, a tremendous need for profession-\nalism in the communications operation. One good man would be\nbetter than the 30 half-wits they have sitting around right now.\nDETERMINED TO BE AN\nADMINISTRATIVE MARKING\nE.O. 12065, Section 6-102\nBy yew NARS, Date 10/22/80\nCONFIDENTIAL\nFebruary 4, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nJEB MAGRUDER\nFROM:\nCHARLES COLSON\nSUBJECT:\nAttached Speech\nI don't know who you have writing political material for people\ngoing into key states, but I have just read Rog Morton's speech\nfor tonight in New Hampshire. It's awful. It wouldn't get a single\nline of press anywhere except in the Concord Monitor which I\nsuppose would have to cover the speech because he is speaking\nin Concord. The basic trouble is that it is pure fluff. It says\nnothing except a lot of political platitudes that could be written\nin any campaign about anyone at anytime.\nThe particular speech tonight has been rescued by a speech insert\ndealing with Muskie's upsetting of our peace negotiations which\nconceivably will make it newsworthy. What bothers me is if the\nfirst draft is an example of what we're giving to people who go into\nstates, we aren't going to make political points and we aren't going\nto make news. Maybe the problem here is Morton who I know has\nto be pushed hard and cranked up hard.\nOn major speeches like Morton's we would be glad to help and now\nhave some writers who have been producing some good substantive\nmaterial. This is not intended as criticism but rather as a con-\nstructive suggestion.I I think If you yourself read the original Morton\nspeech you will see that it is a total zero.\nAlso, it is going to be very important, and I know Van Shumway\nunderstands this, that major speeches like this be released here\nin Washington as well as in Concord, New Hampshire and at the\ntop of the release the contact should not only be the New Hampshire\npress person, but the Washington press person as well. A Regers\nattack on Muskie moving out of Washington news bureaus will get\na hell of a lot more play around the country than if it moves only on\nthe wires out of New Hampshire.\nCONFIDENTIAL"
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