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This file contains: From Robert C. Odle, Jr., to Haldeman RE: follow-up to a recently released Gallup Poll. Handwritten notes added by unknown. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 12/2/1970 From Odle, through Chapin, to Haldeman and Klein RE: attached plan concerning recent Gallup Poll results. 3 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 11/24/1970

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26145003
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WHSF: Contested, 6-72
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26145003
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WHSF: Contested, 6-72
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This file contains: From Robert C. Odle, Jr., to Haldeman RE: follow-up to a recently released Gallup Poll. Handwritten notes added by unknown. 2 pgs. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 12/2/1970 From Odle, through Chapin, to Haldeman and Klein RE: attached plan concerning recent Gallup Poll results. 3 pg. [Subject: Domestic Policy] [Memo], 11/24/1970
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library Contested Materials Collection Folder List Box Number Folder Number Document Date No Date Subject Document Type Document Description 6 72 12/2/1970 Domestic Policy Memo From Robert C. Odle, Jr., to Haldeman RE: follow-up to a recently released Gallup Poll. Handwritten notes added by unknown. 2 pgs. 6 72 11/24/1970 Domestic Policy Memo From Odle, through Chapin, to Haldeman and Klein RE: attached plan concerning recent Gallup Poll results. 3 pg. Monday, June 14, 2010 Page 1 of 1 MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON December 2, 1970 MEMORANDUM FOR: MR. HALDEMAN FROM: ROBERT C. ODLE, JR. The following actions were taken to follow-up on the Gallup Poll which was published last Sunday. 1. Mr. Klein called Chairman Morton to suggest a Sunday afternoon press conference in which he would stress the results of the Gallup Poll showing support for the President and a high degree of popularity. The Chairman was in London but in his absence we had the National Committee put out a press release in the Chairman's name making our points. This release was then mailed to the media. 2. Mr. Klein talked with a number of columnists regarding this line. He had lunch with William White in this connection. Mr. Colson talked to Victor Laskeyand the Drummonds concerning the poll. Colson has a commitment from Laskey to do a column. If the column is good, we will distribute it widely. 3. Mr. Klein telephoned the new chief editorial writer of the Washington Star, Smith Hempstone, suggesting that the Star point out in an editorial that the 57% approval rate ought to get across to Congress the point that the President's campaign did not affect his popularity. Mr. Klein then lunched on Tuesday with Newbold Noyes of the Washington Star. The Star is considering an editorial. 4. Mr. Klein telephoned Robert Thompson, National Editor of the Hearst Corporation to suggest a column or national editorial on the Gallup Poll. Hearst is considering this. 5. Lyn Nofziger and Jim Hogue prepared ten speeches on the Gallup Poll. Four have been delivered as of this hour. In addition, speech inserts and other attack material was prepared and forwarded by Nofziger and Hogue. 6. The poll will be featured in Monday on December 7. If we had done it last Monday, the Democrats would have known we had the poll in advance. It's mailed to papers on Thus. - 2 7. An extensive mailing was made to more than 5, 000 Republican officials throughout the country enclosing the poll with a cover letter from Rogers Morton. The mailing was sent to county chairmen, city chairmen, state central committee vice chairmen, state central committee chairwomen, state central committee local chairmen, county vice chairmen and members of the Republican National Committee. It was hand delivered to approximately 233 Republican Members of Congress. 8. A press conference by GOP Congressmen who have recently been elected to the Senate was suggested to Messrs. Timmons and Nofziger. After considering it, they decided against such a press conference for three reasons: a) there was no hard news -- thus the questions put to them would have been on a number of other issues; b) the Harris Poll came out Monday and many of the questions might have been on it instead of the Gallup; c) there was no guarantee as to what persons such as Weicker might have said. 9. Mr. Klein considered the possibility of a Vice Presidential visit to the Senate Press Gallery on Monday or having reporters in the Vice President's office at the Capitol. However, Mr. Klein felt that since the Vice President has not yet visited the Press Gallery, and since the Vice President ha S been under criticism for not performing his Senate duties, such an activity would be inadvisable. 10. Mr. Klein has stressed this line in his speeches this week and in his conversation with Administration officials and spokesmen. CC: Mr. Chapin Mr. Klein Attachments MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON November 24, 1970 ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM FOR: MR. HALDEMAN MR. KLEIN THROUGH: MR. CHAPIN FROM: ROBERT C. ODLE, JR. Attached is a tentative plan for the Gallup Poll release based to a large extent on Mr. Chapin's memorandum of November 23 to Mr. Haldeman. Please let us know what sections are acceptable and we will begin to move. Thank you. Attachment ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL November 24, 1970 ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL TENTATIVE PLAN NOVEMBER 29 GALLUP POLL Description: On Sunday, November 29, the new Gallup poll will be published. It was taken November 13-15 and will show 57% approve of the President; 30% disapprove; and 13% have no opinion. This is in contrast with the October 9-13 poll which showed 59%, 27% and 14%. Objective: There are two key lines with respect to these pre and post-election polls: (1) While the Democrats have charged continuously since November 4 that the election represented a defeat for the President and a challenge to his popularity, the most recent post-election poll showed his popularity varied only two points -- a minor fluctuation. Thus, Democratic charges have been proved wrong. (2) Despite sustained and unparallelled Democratic attacks on the President during the campaign of October and November, the President's popularity remained basically unchanged. Action: Explore the possibility of getting an Administration political spokesman (e. g. : Finch) on ISSUES AND ANSWERS this Sunday. Note: unless we move fast with a "heavy, 11 ISSUES will be pre-empted by a religious special. Finch could discuss both the poll and aid to Pakistan. - - Klein/Snyder Develop talking papers, lines, etc., for use by Administration spokesmen and provide these lines to all players. - - Klein/ Keogh/Safire/Nofziger Get Morton to hold a press conference on Sunday. This would play well on Sunday evening TV and in Monday morning newspapers. -- Klein Explore the possibility of bringing in one or two friendly columnists on Monday to see the President (e.g. g. : Dick Wilson, William White). If the President could not see them, perhaps Finch and/or Klein could. Chapin/Klein ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL - 2 - ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL Action: Suggest that an editorial be written in Sunday's Star pointing out that the President's 57% approval rate might get the point across to Congress that the President's campaign efforts did not affect his popularity. Also, get this point across to a TV commentator such as Reasoner. -- Klein Call William Randolph Hearst and suggest a column taking on the President's critics by using the Gallup poll against those who were predicting a defeat in '72. -- Klein Get attack material to our people on the Hill -- especially Senators -- so that on Tuesday as they debate the supplemental appropriation bill, our Senators can point out that the people are still with their President. -- No fziger/Hogue Explore the possibility of the Vice President visiting the Senate press gallery on Monday at 1:00 p.m., or having reporters in his Capitol office, to show how the poll demonstrates the President's popularity. -- Klein/Sohmer/ Gold Explore the possibility of a 10:00 a.m. Monday press confer- ence by freshmen GOP Senators (Taft, Buckley, Beall, Roth, Brock, Weicker) to point out that they found the President to be popular -- and the poll confirms it. -- Timmons/Nofziger Send a massive mailing on the poll to a number of lists with emphasis on the media and the Republican Establish- ment. Use a cover letter from the Vice President. -- Baukol Project Managers: Chapin/Odle ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL