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From Dent to RN RE: George Wallace in the 1972 campaign. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/16/1971
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WHSF: Contested, 7-13
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WHSF: Contested, 7-13
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From Dent to RN RE: George Wallace in the 1972 campaign. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/16/1971
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
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7
13
8/16/1971
Campaign
Memo
From Dent to RN RE: George Wallace in the
1972 campaign. 2 pgs.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Page 1 of 1
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 16, 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
HARRY S. DENT
HSD
SUBJECT:
Intentions of George Wallace
Wallace's campaign manager, Tom Turnipseed, recently
quit and is returning to South Carolina to practice law.
I am convinced he has given me an honest view of the
Wallace camp and present intentions.
Wallace has been in bad trouble in Alabama since winning
re-election. The campaign cost a teriffic amount and for
the first time since 1968 he went into debt. He is
fighting with his former ally, the lieutenant governor,
and has many other problems with the legislature and with
the people, including a tax raise he promised not to
advocate. Turnipseed says Wallace would have lost an
election in Alabama a few weeks ago.
Turnipseed left because he said he was being undermined
by all of the others around Wallace while out on the road
trying to organize and set up fund raising dinners. They
only wanted to line their pockets with money and they
figured the best way to do this was to keep George in
the governorship and not run for President again. Only
Turnipseed and George wanted to run.
Turnipseed said Wallace has now seized on the busing issue
as his best hope for restoring his popularity in Alabama,
collecting money, winning national attention, and possibly
launching another presidential bid. If the other aides
are convinced this will make money, then they will change
their advice against running.
- 2 -
Turnipseed says Wallace has no organization. The strategy
has been to get on the ballot in every state and then next
summer determine which states carried an electoral vote
possibility for the Governor. The campaign would then
center on those states with the line that Wallace would
switch his electoral votes to whichever major party
candidate would agree most with his position on questions
he would pose on national television. This time he would
insure that the successful Thurmond line of 1968-the fear
of electing a Democrat by throwing the election into the
House of Representatives--would not be permitted to permeate
the minds of the voters.
Turnipseed says the one sure way to stop Wallace is to
deflate him on the busing issue as soon as possible. One
way he discussed was a Constitutional amendment against
busing.
This information has been passed to the Attorney General.