Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This file contains:
From Bush to RN RE: Possible interview with Mike Douglas. 3 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 4/15/1974
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26144857
label
WHSF: Contested, 5-67
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26144857
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
WHSF: Contested, 5-67
description
This file contains:
From Bush to RN RE: Possible interview with Mike Douglas. 3 pgs. [Subject: White House Staff] [Memo], 4/15/1974
citationUrl
collections
Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26144857
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
71b9543cb64f59d4
ocrText
Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
Folder List
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
5
67
4/15/1974
White House Staff
Memo
From Bush to RN RE: Possible interview
with Mike Douglas. 3 pgs.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Page 1 of 1
DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
NUMBER
TYPE
SUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS
DATE
RESTRICTION
N-1
memo
Bush to RN
4/15/74
C(Nixon)
[doc. 21]
GEN. FILE GROUP ALEXANDER TITLE HAIG Interstaff,0"1974
BOX NUMBER
23
FOLDER TITLE
April - Bush (RNC)
RESTRICTION CODES
A. Release would violate a Federal statute or Agency Policy.
E. Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
B. National security classified information.
financial information.
C. Pending or approved claim that release would violate an individual's
F. Release would disclose investigatory information compiled for law
rights.
enforcement purposes.
D. Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy
G. Withdrawn and return private and personal material.
or a libel of a living person.
H. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
NA FORM 1421 (4-85)
Presidential Materials Review Board
Review on Contested Documents
Collection: Alexander M. Haig
Box Number:
23
Folder:
April - Bush (RNC)
Document
Disposition
21
Return Private/Political
Republican
National
Committee.
April 15, 1974
George Bush, Chairman
Personal and confidential
For: The President
From: George Bush
via: A1 Haig
Subject: Possible Interview with Mike Douglas
The Chicago, Houston, Michigan and Xenia visits were highly
successful for many reasons: principally because the people saw the
President with their own eyes concerned about them and their
interests. They made up their own minds with no Network News
filters, no combat type press conference atmosphere.
When I go on speaking trips all across the country people lean
over to me at the head table and ask "George, how is the President
really doing, how does he take all this pressure, how does he stand
up under the withering attacks?" I get this all the time not just
from the man on the street but from Party leadership as well.
The other night I did a taping for the Mike Douglas Show in
Philadelphia. Mike leaned over to me during the break and asked the
identical question "George, tell me honestly how is the President,
what shape is he really in, etc, etc?"
I had only met Mike Douglas once before, but I have researched
him out with the following conclusions:
(More)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Republican Center: 310 First Street Southeast, Washington, D.C. 20003. (202) 484-6500.
For: The President
From: George Bush
Re: Mike Douglas Show
Page 2
Unlike Cavett, Carson et al he doesn't play to the radical chic
show biz audience. He's not a smart-alec.
He is open, honest, straightforward, "across the back fence"
kind of person. His huge success stems from the fact that he asks the
kind of question the average person in Mid-America wants to hear
answered.
He is not a curve ball artist. He has a certain decency about
him
(e.g. on my interview he made the point on the air - "well
I'll tell you one thing whenever someone attacks the President we get
lots of calls and letters criticizing the critics and standing up for
the President" - I can't imagine the other talk show artists going
that route).
He gets a big audience. The segment just before the 6:00 PM news
draws 31 million - so claims the producer.
Rationale Behind Recommendation
Mike Douglas is straight.
The President would come through as 'in charge', 'making the
tough decisions', 'governing', 'determined', 'grace under great
pressure'.
The interview would help shore up the heart of the President's
constituency.
The audience would make its own determinations on "How is the
President taking all of this" without the Rather, Brokaw, etc. filters.
(More)
For: The President
From: George Bush
Re: Mike Douglas Show
Page 3
Recommendation
That I contact Mike Douglas to determine if he would be
interested in doing a one-on-one interview, in a relaxed private
setting, asking the same type question of the President that he asks of
other quests. The interview should be about 30 minutes and should be
unrehearsed.
Implementation of Recommendation
I have not mentioned this idea to Mike Douglas or anyone
connected with his show. The only person I checked with was Frank
Shakespeare, now an executive of Westinghouse for whom Mike works.
Frank agrees totally with the concept and feels Mike Douglas would be
the ideal interviewer to bring out the theme "The President is bearing
up fantastically well under a tremendous burden."
The best way to pursue the idea would be for me to call Mike
Douglas, and say: "Mike, I have been thinking about the question you
asked me about the President. Why not invite him to do an interview?"
The initiative should not come from the White House.
Republican
National
George Bush
Committee.
Honorable Alexander Haig
The White House
Personal
Washington, D. C. 20500
Eyes Only, Confidential