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    "title": "WHSF: Contested, 8-25",
    "description": "This file contains:\n\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: the youth vote. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/23/1972\n\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: preparing RN's daughters for political questions. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/6/1972\n\nFrom RN to Mitchell RE: the formulation of campaign strategies in light of McGovern's inevitable Democratic Party nomination. 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/6/1972\n\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: Don Kendall's efforts to rally business figures behind RN. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/18/1972\n\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: using newspaper editor Schurz during the campaign. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/15/1972",
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        "Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection",
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/59/1452/26145259/content/presidential-libraries/nixon/RN-RET/2546065/Contested-Box-8/Contested-08-25.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\n8\n25\n7/23/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: the youth vote. 2\npgs.\n8\n25\n6/6/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: preparing RN's\ndaughters for political questions. 2 pgs.\n8\n25\n6/6/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom RN to Mitchell RE: the formulation of\ncampaign strategies in light of McGovern's\ninevitable Democratic Party nomination. 3\npgs.\n8\n25\n5/18/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: Don Kendall's\nefforts to rally business figures behind RN. 2\npgs.\nFriday, August 27, 2010\nPage 1 of 2\nBox Number\nFolder Number\nDocument Date\nNo Date\nSubject\nDocument Type\nDocument Description\n8\n25\n8/15/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom RN to Haldeman RE: using newspaper\neditor Schurz during the campaign. 1 pg.\nFriday, August 27, 2010\nPage 2 of 2\n(Item N-5]\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nSunday - July 23, 1972\nCamp David\nMEMORANDUM FOR BOB HALDEMAN\nFROM THE PRESIDENT\nPM\nIn studying the New York Times release of the Gallup Poll\non youth one lesson comes through loud and clear -- it is\nimperative that we limit our registration efforts wherever\npossible, without announcing that that is our tactic, to the\nnon-college youth. Of course, some registration of college\nyouth on a very selective basis should be undertaken, but\ngenerally speaking we have to realize that there is about a\ntwo to one chance that college youth will vote for McGovern.\nThere is about an even chance that the non-college youth\nwill vote for us.\nIf a youth registration drive begins, pushed by the McGovern\nforces, every effort should be made to get them to direct\nthat drive to non-college as well as to college youth. I\nknow that our plan is to register youth selectively by\nfinding out in advance which side they are on and then going\nforward in the registration. Here it is very important that\nthe question asked not be on partisan terms. Over half of\nall youth list themselves as Independents rather than\nRepublicans or Democrats. Consequently, it should simply\nbe a question of asking whether they are for McGovern or\nNixon and then registering those that are for Nixon.\nOf course, it could be argued that the registration drive\namong youth, even non-college youth, is not one that we\nshould undertake at all, since at the very best they would\nsplit 50-50. This is much poorer than the national average\nand much poorer than what we would do among older voters.\nHowever, to avoid the effect on older voters of our conceding\nthe youth vote to McGovern, we need to make some effort in\nthis area. Let us limit it to the target states, particularly\n- 2 -\nthe big city areas and the down-state areas where we might\npick up support and except for a token effort let us concen-\ntrate on non-college, blue collar youth, among ethnics and,\nof course, among those few that might lean to our side\nbecause of their background in a Republican family.\nI emphasize again that the whole youth effort should be one\nthat gets across the idea that youth will not overwhelmingly\nbe in McGovern's pocket, that we have in the nation very\nsubstantial support among younger voters and that we are going\nto get more as they learn what the issues are. In fact,\nsomething can be gained by pointing out that we are concen-\ntrating on registering all youth and that the McGovern\npeople are limiting themselves to the elite youth who have\ngone to college or are in colleges and universities.\n[Item N-8\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nJune 6, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR BOB HALDEMAN\nFROM THE PRESIDENT\n@m\nJulie and Tricia were asking me over the weekend what kind\nof answers they can give now that the Democratic nomination\nseems to be pretty much a foregone conclusion when asked\ntheir opinion on the man or his stands.\nMy advice off the top of my head was for them to decline to\nget into personalities, but to simply say that they didn't know\nmuch about it except that from listening to the debates and\nwhat Humphrey and other Democrats had said that it would\nappear that McGovern might have a problem in uniting his party.\nWhat I want you to direct Buchanan to do is to figure out all\nthe tough political questions that are likely to be put to Tricia\nand Julie when they appear on talk shows over the next few\nmonths and for him to prepare suggested answers for them which\nwill keep them from getting involved personally, but which\nwill avoid their appearing to be totally non-responsive when such\na question is raised. It is vitally important, of course, that\nthey not get headlines which indicates that the daughters of the\nPresident are attacking the Democratic nominee. The more\noff-hand, subtle kind of answer is what I have in mind. This\nis not generally Buchanan's approach, but I think if you explain\nit to him he will find ways to tackle the problem that could be\nvery effective. I want you to look over the Q & A after he\nprepares it before sending it on to Tricia and Julie. This should\nbe done before the end of this week because they are both going\nto be on shows next week and the week after, as I understand it.\nThey have done extremely well winging it on their own on these\npolitical questions up to this point, although I realize they have\nhad considerable help from the staff on substantive matters on\n- 2 -\nwhere do I stand on environment, welfare, etc. In view of the\nMoscow trip I told Julie and Tricia that if they were asked\nwhat the major issue of 1972 would be that they should respond\nthat while the domestic issues were, of course, extremely\nimportant, that where the Presidency was concerned it would\nbe their opinion that most young people, as well as other voters,\nwould be primarily interested in which of the two candidates\nwas best qualified to lead the United States in international\naffairs and to build on the great peace initiatives we have begun\nin China and the Soviet Union. In any event, I want some more\nintensive thinking done on how they should respond to such\nquestions in the light of our recent Moscow trip, having in\nmind the fact that we want to keep them and all of our speakers\ntalking about our issue which is international affairs, and\nexcept for domestic issues that have a real appeal like busing,\namnesty and pot to stay off of the domestic issues.\nI think the materials prepared for them so far have probably\nput a little too much emphasis on the environment, welfare\nreform, revenue sharing, etc. These are good, safe things\nto talk about but they are relatively dull and will become rather\nirrelevant as the campaign heats up.\n[Item N-9]\nEYES ONLY\nEYES ONLY\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nJune 6, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR JOHN MITCHELL\nFROM THE PRESIDENT\n@\nThis memorandum is for your information and guidance, and\nthe contents and observations should only be used on your own\nand not attributed to me since some rather sensitive political\nmatters are contained in it.\nIn talking to John Connally he has decided within the last two\nweeks that McGovern will probably be nominated.\nAs you know, it has been his thought all along that Kennedy\nwould inevitably pick up the marbles at the crucial time just\nbefore or during the Convention.\nHowever, from a number of sources it is becoming apparent\nthat a last-ditch effort may be made by Kennedy to try to\nhave a deadlock so that Kennedy could still get the nomination.\nThis seems unlikely in view of his decision to get rid of his\nSecret Service, but on the other hand that might just be a ploy\nfor the purpose of playing that game. There is no question but\nthat there has been and probably still is a deal between Kennedy\nand Mills. In fact, from sources that I believe are absolutely\nreliable, Mills desperately wants to go on the ticket with\nanybody, including McGovern. This, incidentally, I think would\nbe a great mistake on the part of whoever is at the top of the\nticket because I think Mills is a shrewd operator in the House\nand a lousy national candidate.\nIn talking to Connally he made one point very strongly with\nwhich I totally agree. To put it in perspective it is necessary for\nme to point out that one of the major mistakes we made in 1960\nwas to allow Republicans, particularly in the Southern states,\nto control the Nixon organization and also to be out front in the\nNixon effort. Their interest, of course, was to use the\nPresidential campaign for the purpose of building the Republican\nParty in their states. This was particularly true in Texas and\nEYES ONLY\nEYES ONLY\n- 2 -\nsome of the other critical states in the South which we lost.\nIt was also a national phenomenon. We avoided it in a state\nlike California only because Bob Finch was totally aware of\nthe California problems and saw to it that we ran a campaign\nthat did not cut out the Independents and Democrats.\nConnally's admonition is that as we see the inevitability now\nof a McGovern nomination we must \"leave the door open\" for\nDemocrats and Independents not only to join us but to have\npositions of real leadership in the Nixon campaign. I can't\nemphasize too strongly how much I agree with his position.\nYou will get squeals of outrage from the National Committee.\nand from State Chairmen, but we must remember that if the\nRepublican Party, weak as it is, is to be rebuilt it cannot be\ndone so at the expense of risking losing the Presidential election.\nThe time to do it will be after the election.\nEvery state is to be examined with a merciless and impartial\neye as to what people in that state we need in order to carry it.\nGenerally speaking, you will find that what we need are\nprominent Democrats and Independents who will join our cause\nand if possible who will take positions of leadership in it.\nIn California one of the reasons we probably have less of a chance\nin 1972 than we had in 1960 or in 1968 is the fact that Reagan\nand the regular Republicans will insist on running the campaign.\nThis will make it a walking disaster and the same is true of\nTexas and all the Southern States as well as some of the other\nstates, including states like Pennsylvania where we need\nprominent Democrats. For example, Rizzo is infinitely more\nimportant to us in Pennsylvania than Scott or Schweiker. Ways\nhave got to be found to allow Rizzo to be out in front if he is\nwilling to do so.\nThe purpose of this memo is simply to make sure that an\nexamination is made of the state's situation with only one view\nin mind -- what men and women can do us the most good in\ngetting us the votes we need -- the votes of Independents and\nDemocrats ? Always have in mind that only 24 percent of the\npeople in the last Gallup Poll were willing to admit that they\nwere Republicans. With this kind of a base, putting Republicans\nout in front, is simply asking for suicide. This does not mean\nthat the Republican organization should be cut out -- it does\nmean that we should avoid identifying too closely with Republican\nEYES ONLY\nEYES ONLY\n- 3 -\ncandidates who are weaker than we are or with Republican\norganizations that are in ill repute. It does mean that whenever\nwe can get Independents or Democrats to take a lead role\nthis could make the difference between winning or losing the\nstate and even possibly the election.\nThe McGovern strategy is becoming very clear now that he\nbelieves that he has the nomination wrapped up. His going to\nthe Governors' Conference for the purpose of \"clarifying his\nstand on amnesty, marijuana, abortion and welfare is a case\nin point. I know there are those who will say that he can't get\naway with it any more than Goldwater was able to get away with\nit when he tried to enlist Republican Governors in Cleveland\nin 1964. There are two very significant differences. McGovern\nis more clear and less principled than Goldwater and will say\nanything in order to win. And second, McGovern will have\nabout 100 percent support from the media in his effort to clean\nhimself up so that he can beat us in the final. This points up\nthe necessity at this time to get Democrats and Independents,\nnot Republicans, to nail McGovern on the left side of the road\nwhich his record so clearly identifies him with. We must\nremember our experience in 1970. We thought that with people\nlike Adlai Stevenson, Burdick, Moss, et al and their total\nrecord of permissiveness, anti-defense, anti-law enforcement,\na good hard-hitting supporter on our side could win. What\nhappened was that people like Stevenson ended up riding in\npolice cars and wearing American flags and the media, of\ncourse, completely refused to point up their hypocrisy in\nmaking the change. We are going to be up against exactly the\nsame problem with the media in this case and every possible\neffort must be made to develop a program now to counteract\nthis obvious tactic which is being developed.\n[Item N-10]\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nMay 18, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nH. R. HALDEMAN\nI was distressed to learn from Don Kendall that in his trying to get\nBusiness Chairmen for us in the various States, he had struck out\nin city after city after going down the list of names that he received\nfrom people on the White House staff, the Campaign Committee, and\nfrom other sources. He said that he had to date called 12 business\nleaders in San Francisco and not one of them would agree to serve\nas the Nixon Chairman. He said that he had also had some difficulty\nin Los Angeles although he had finally come up with a name. Only\nthrough Connally's intervention was he able to get Clement to take\nthe job in Texas.\nAs I have already told you, Kendall's reaction of course was that,\nimmediately after the election we had to spend more time romancing\nthe business community and developing a group of them to support us.\nI told him that, if I looked back over my calendar for the last three\nyears, that businessmen probably took two-thirds of my time when\nwe figured my appearances before Chambers of Commerce, NAB,\nthe Business Council, and the terribly boring series of meetings\nI have had with business advisors and consultants on a number of\nissues.\nI told Don that we have to realize that the old establishment just like\nthe old establishment in the university community and in the media\nsimply weren't going to be with us and that we had to build a new\nestablishment. I told him that we needed people like himself, Bob\nAbplanalp, Mulcahy and others who, though they don't fit socially\nwith the business elite, have real character. There are simply\nbound to be a number of people around the country who will fit this\ncategory. Stans probably knows some of them because he had to\nbuild a whole new group of contributors when he went through the\nlast campaign. I would also imagine that the wire and letter response\nto the May 8 speech might prove very useful in getting some names\nfor Kendall to approach.\n- 2 -\nWhat I am sure of is that what we have been doing to date with\nthe business community is altogether wrong. When I think that\nwe have had the likes of Irwin Miller in to Blair House meetings\nand when I look over the lists as I sometimes do of those who are\ninvited to such meetings, I find that even our most conservative\npeople on the White House staff inevitably go to the so-called\nbusiness elite when they want to get support for some of our policies.\nI want you to have a really tough talk with Flanigan and Ehrlichman\non this subject and eventually, as a result of your discussions, per-\nhaps we can give Kendall some help in attempting to develop this new\ngroup on the business side. Malek, of course, could be helpful in\nsuch a discussion and Stans, also, from time to time.\nIn sum, what I am trying to say in this memo is that we have been\nstriking out over and over again in attempting to enlist business\nsupport for our policies due to the fact that we have been talking to\nthe wrong audience. The business elite, if anything, has less guts\nthan the labor elite or the farm elite. What we have to do is to find\nthose few people in the business community who have some reputation\nas being successful in business but who haven't been taken in by the\nidea that they must only attach themselves to \"fashionable\" causes.\nTHE PRESIDENT\n[Item N-12]\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nMay 15, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR BOB HALDEMAN\nFROM THE PRESIDENT Pm\nI want you to follow through to see if we can get the editor\nfrom Maryland - Schurz -- who was formerly on the San\nFrancisco Examiner to come with us on some sort of basis\nduring the campaign. Unless he turns out to be a nut I think\nhe could be extremely effective. He has the ability that Klein\nlacked of really seeing how the press jobs us. One assignment\nyou might give him is to check up on photo editors, the wire\nservices primarily and less importantly of some of the major\npapers. He strongly believes that photo editors do us in more\neffectively than some of the managing editors. In any event,\nfollow up and see if we can find a place for him, provided he\nis willing to come."
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