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From Douglas L. Hallett to Johnathan Rose. RE: Discussions of the President's support having dwindled in a week's time due in part to questions concerning his leadership abilities. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1970
From Douglas L. Hallett to Jonathan Rose. RE: A discussion conerning the President's popularity and leadership abilities. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1970
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WHSF: Contested, 17-11
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This file contains:
From Douglas L. Hallett to Johnathan Rose. RE: Discussions of the President's support having dwindled in a week's time due in part to questions concerning his leadership abilities. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1970
From Douglas L. Hallett to Jonathan Rose. RE: A discussion conerning the President's popularity and leadership abilities. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 5/6/1970
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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
17
11
5/6/1970
Campaign
Memo
From Douglas L. Hallett to Johnathan Rose.
RE: Discussions of the President's support
having dwindled in a week's time due in part
to questions concerning his leadership
abilities. 4 pgs.
17
11
5/6/1970
Campaign
Memo
From Douglas L. Hallett to Jonathan Rose.
RE: A discussion conerning the President's
popularity and leadership abilities. 4 pgs.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Page 1 of 1
DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
NUMBER
TYPE
SUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS
DATE
RESTRICTION
N-1
memo
Hallett 40 Rose, re: thoughts
5/6/70
[DOC 19]
on Presidents present
C
situation
L attached so cover note, 1 toH,
1/4/71]
N.2
memo
stallett to Rose, re: a few
7/6/70
C
[DOC 20]
thoughts on mylastmemo
(part of N-1 case file
N-3
memo
[Docs 21+22]
Copies of N-1 & N-2 L part of
5/6/70
C
N-1 case file]
N-4
Memo
/Lehuli to Waven, ne: Executive
6/8/71
C
[DOC 23]
Health unit
N-5
memo
Whitaker to JDE, re: white
7/20/71
[Doc 24]
C
House Farmer- Spitzer
N-6
memo
whiteher to HRM, re: white
7/8/71
C
[Doc 25]
House Farmer
N-7
memo
whitaher to HRH, re: Raymond
7/2/71
C
[DOC 26]
Gary + allan shivers
N 8
memo
whitaker to President, re. environ
ment issue, with attachments
6/29/71
[Doc 27]
C
N-9
memo
whileher to-Huntoman re: Schmate
[Doc 28]
for Texas Drought Log P 1750
6/18/71
C
FILE GROUP TITLE
BOX NUMBER
HRH
273
FOLDER TITLE
[mise. memos (To Be Interfiled [30f3]
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: H. R. Haldeman
Box Number:
273
Folder:
[Misc. Memos (to be interfiled) ] [3 of 3]
Document
Disposition
19
Return
Private/Political
20
Retain
Open
21
Return
Private/Political
22
Retain
Open
23
Retain
Open
24
Retain
Open
25
Retain
Close
Invasion of Privacy
26
Retain
Open
27
Retain
Open
28
Retain
Open
May 6. 1.970
To: Jonathan Roso
From: Douglas L. Hallett
Per your request, I will try to communicate a fow tentativo
thoughts I have on the President's present situation. My first
thought is that at this point the President 1s not in all that
great trouble. One week is not going to kill off the kind of
support he has had so far. What does worry me, though, is that
there has been over the last few months a gradual erosion of
Mr. Nixon's support and with the Cambodian speech the revival
of an active opposition. These developments will not be stopped
even if the Cambodian venture is successful and of short dura-
tion. Stopping, or at least limiting, them will require firm,
positive leadership.
LBJ should have taught us that what is important is not what
people think about the President's policies, but what they think
about his lendership. Mr. Nixon's leadership is now in question.
The kids and the news media senso it and they are ready to move
in on him. The strike is going to be the beginning of a lot of
political work this summer and fall, the days of despair and
frustration are coming to a close. NSA is starting an effort
to get graduating seniors donate cap and gown money to anti war
political campaigns. A lot more of this kind of thing will follow.
On another level, the Eastern Establishment is going to be mobilized.
An effort is now being made to get a coalition of establishment
types pledged to raise $10million to an anti-war effort this
fall. The plan now is to mount a Congressional campaign on a
presidential level with national TV advertising questionning the
President's leadership. How successful it will be is unclear to
me at this point. Watch for things like a statement from former
DOD officials that's being circulated now to measure its initial
success. They hope to get offices all over the country and local
coalitions going by the end of the month.
These threats will have to be countered eventually. The President's
leadership must be reasserted. You can't let the other side dom
inate the dialogue as LBJ did in late 1967. The kids and the
intellectual elite have never been for Mr. Nixon, but you can't
leave the now prevalent impression that the President can't handle
them, can't answer them, can't confront them face. to face. Don't
let the President become a prisoner President as LBJ was in his
last year or so, He' got to be visible, vocal, outgoing. The
kind of stuff Agnew throws out is no good now. There are too many
kids who hate the President and too many parents who won't be
able to dismiss: their kids as campus "bums". The President's
leadership must be firm, positive, directed.
2
Mr. Jonathan Rose
For the immediate future, I wouldn't do anything particularly
dramatic. Agnew should be phased down, but the environment 10
too tense right now for the President to take on a more aggressive
stance. But by the end of the summer and certainly for the camp-
aign the President should take the offensive demonstrate his
leadership, exhibit his personal control, The obvious vehicle
for this effort would be television. It'stthe only way he can
cut through the newspapers, the magazines, the commentators. Mr.
Nixon has got to expose himself, open himself up to public view
more than he has,
The Cambodian speech was all wrong The President read it. He
appeared defensive, cold, calculating, and nervous - all the usual
cliches about him. He's got to begin doing things which are warm,
spontaneous - things to which people can relate, In my view, the
very tentative use of television that the President undertook in
1968 against Humphrey should be expanded to full-blown use this
fall. This kind of thing is risky and I'm sure the President
won't buy it, but I think it may be the one thing which could help
him most if the present erosion in his support and the increasingly
vocal opposition continues,
For the campaign, I would throw out the possibility of the Presi-
dent having a series of half-hour TV discussions, maybe three or
four. One on the economy with two businessmen and two labor
people One on law enforcement with, say, a judge, a police chief,
a prison official, a social worker type. One on foreign policy
with somebody from State, a guy like Lewellyn Thompson, Resor
from Defense, and a mild critic of the President's policy - maybe
even Reston. Dheabnydomasthc problemsoylch Finch, a black like
Whitney Young, a post-VISTA volunteer or young social worker typem
and a state or city human development official. Finally, one on
problems of the young with four students, two for Nixon and two
against.
Now I know that this is going to be dismissed as a hair- brained idea
from an idealistic college student, but I think it's viable politicall
The President is at his best one-on-one in short answer. This would
let the nation seen him at his best. It would give him an oppor-
tunity to show that he can meet his critics, answer their questions,
beat them at their own game. The objections to doing this kind of
thing are clear and obvious. It's denigrating the Presidency, making
Mr. Nixon into a Johnny Carson, But it would still be fantastic.
Leadership in this country is not by office anymore; it's by man.
Media exposure of all kinds is too great for a man to hide behind
his job, to isolate his person; LBJ showed that. What may be needed
by the fall is to bring Mr. Nixon out behind the vail of his job
rago 3
Mr. Jonathan Rose
to show that he can exercise personal, not just presidential,
leadership. I think Mr. Nixon can do that and I think he will
have to do so eventually to avoid letting the TV commmentators,
the newspaper columnists, the intellectuals, and the kids con-
vince the country that Mr. Nixon can't handle them.
Knowing that the President will never buy what I suggested above,
there are a few other things that could be done. The presidential
road-show to the Midwest was a good thing. Do more of that kind
of thing. Let the people see Mr. Nixon in-action. Send him not
just to conventions at D.C. hotels, but out into the field to
look at problems on their own turf. Take more advantage of issues
like the environment where Mr. Nixon is strong by letting the
news media see him in national parks, examining polluted rivers,
walking through desalination plants. The President has exploited
the space program beautifully, but I don't think he's used his
other strong issues nearly as well as he could. Even hard issues
like civil rights could be dealt with more visibly. Have Mr.
Nixon go into the South personally to talk with local officials
on both sides of the desegregation question.
Use the straight specches the President gives more effectively.
Make Mr. Nixon eloquent. At his best, as with the State of the
Union Message, the President is quite good. Do more of that kind
of thing. The "Sub Belt" strategy or whatever it is doesn't
preclude the possibility of the President being positive from
time to time. That Bill Brock report on students was terrific.
Why can't the President say something like that? There are basic
policy problems which prevent the President from sounding like
John Lindsay, but there's no reason why he can't come out for
free speech and the right of dissent, There's no reason why he
oan't empathize with the problems of the poor, the young, etc.
and appear to be visibly dealing with them. Show the nation that
the President has a philosophical direction - that he is buman and
doesn't always know he's right, but that he does have positive gca
in mind.
( why not Hard fity to ?
Other resources in the administration could be used more effective
The only people I ever hear about giving speeches are Bill Rogers,
Spiro Agnew, and Herb Klein. Why can' Schultz and Finch be made
into the John Gardners of this administration? Finch, especially,
has a national image and is clearly loved by the press. Teach
Finch how to give a speech, get him a new writer, and send him
out ** not just to Republican rund- but to prestige events,
campuses, etc. I know Finch is controversial in the South, but
ho can be used very effectively in the North. Finch went over
beautifully at Harvard Law last fall, I think it was. This kind
of thing soothes the antagonism whech givos rise to visible, vocal
opposition.
ost important thing 10 not what Mr. Nixon doon, but how
oes it, Your biggest worry 13 going to be how vocal the
osition is, not who 1t 1s, No matter how much people
ree with Mr. Nixon and no matter how much interest they have
n keeping his policies continued, the President's support will
erode if it appears that he cannot confront and deal with his
critics. You've got to recognize the right of other people to
have views. You ve got to stop these petulant, protective attacks
on Congress and its rights. You've got to appear in control,
not hurt when questionned. It comes down basically to a question
of faith in the President's personal leadership. If you people
believe in Mr. Nixon's leadership in the conference room, show
him to the country on those terms. Open up the Presidnncy and
keep it at a high level. That was the beauty of the 1968 campaign
until you fooze in_the_final month. I wpent a weekend with
Mr. Nixon in New Hampshire, he looked like a President and talked
In
like one and he was visible at the same time. Bring that kind
of thing back. Don't let the media give-the-country the impression
of Mr. Nixon that it wants to. Use the media yourselves creatively,
imaginatively to show the country the President you know - not
just for the campaign, but on a continuing basis - and Ithink you
will be able to control the rising tide of opposition.
I may be in Washington this weekend. If so, I will give you a
call. Otherwise, I presently plan to start work with the
Wahington bureau of the Wall Street Journal at the ond of the
month. See you thon.
May 6, 1970
think
(gest
To: Jonathan Rose
he
From: Douglas L. Hallett
goll Send
him
Per your request, I will try to communicate a few tentative
thoughts I have on the President's present situation. My first
thought is that at this point the President is not in all that
great trouble. One week is not going to kill off the kind of
support he has had so far. What does worry me, though, is that
there has been over the last few months a gradual erosion of
Mr. Nixon's support and with the Cambodian speech the revival
of an active opposition. These developments will not be stopped
even if the Cambodian venture is successful and of short dura-
tion. Stopping, or at least limiting, them will require firm,
positive leadership.
LBJ should have taught us that what is important is not what
people think about the President's policies, but what they think
about his leadership. Mr. Nixon's leadership is now in question.
The kids and the news media sense it and they are ready to move
in on him. The strike is going to be the beginning of a lot of
political work this summer and fall; the days of despair and
frustration are coming to a close. NSA is starting an effort
to get graduating seniors donate cap and gown money to anti-war
political campaigns. A lot more of this kind of thing will follow.
On another level, the Eastern Establishment is going to be mobilized.
An effort is now being made to get a coalition of establishment
types pledged to raise $10million to an anti-war effort this
fall. The plan now is to mount a Congressional campaign on a
presidential level with national TV advertising questionning the
President's leadership. How successful it will be is unclear to
me at this point. Watch for things like a statement from former
DOD officials that's being circulated now to measure its initial
success. They hope to get offices all over the country and local
coalitions going by the end of the month.
These threats will have to be countered eventually. The President's
leadership must be reasserted. You can't let the other side dom-
inate the dialogue as LBJ did in late 1967. The kids and the
intellectual elite have never been for Mr. Nixon, but you can't
leave the now prevalent impression that the President can't handle
them, can't answer them, can't confront them face-to-face. Don't
let the President become a prisoner President as LBJ was in his
last year or so. He's got to be visible, vocal, outgoing. The
kind of stuff Agnew throws out is no good now. There are too many
kids who hate the President and too many parents who won't be
able to dismiss their kids as campus "bums". The President's
leadership must be firm, positive, directed.
Page 2
Mr. Jonathan Rose
For the immediate future, I wouldn't do anything particularly
dramatic. Agnew should be phased down, but the environment 18
too tense right now for the President to take on a more aggressive
stance. But by the end of the summer and certainly for the camp-
aign the President should take the offensive, demonstrate his
leadership, exhibit his personal control. The obvious vehicle
for this effort would be television. It's the only way he can
cut through the newspapers, the magazines, the commentators. Mr.
Nixon has got to expose himself, open himself up to public view
more than he has,
The Cambodian speech was all wrong. The President read it. He
appeared defensive, cold, calculating, and nervous - all the usual
cliches about him. He's got to begin doing things which are warm,
spontaneous - things to which people can relate. In my view, the
very tentative use of television that the President undertook in
1968 against Humphrey should be expanded to full-blown use this
fall. This kind of thing is risky and I'm sure the President
won't buy it, but I think it may be the one thing which could help
him most 1f the present erosion in his support and the increasingly
vocal opposition continues.
For the campaign, I would throw out the possibility of the Presi-
dent having a series of half-hour TV discussions, maybe three or
four. One on the economy with two businessmen and two labor
people. One on law enforcement with, say, a judge, a police chief,
a prison official, a social worker type. One on foreign policy
with somebody from State, a guy like Lewellyn Thompson, Resor
from Defense, and a mild critic of the President's policy - maybe
even Reston. Omeadnydomastha problemsowish Finch, a black like
Whitney Young, a post-VISTA volunteer or young social worker typem
and a state or city human development official. Finally, one on
problems of the young with four students, two for Nixon and two
against.
Now I know that this is going to be dismissed as a hair-brained idea
from an idealistic college student, but I think it's viable politicall
The President is at his best one-on-one in short answer. This would
let the nation seem him at his best. It would give him an oppor-
tunity to show that he can meet his critics, answer their questions,
beat them at their own game. The objections to doing this kind of
thing are clear and obvious. It's denigrating the Presidency, making
Mr. Nixon into a Johnny Carson. But it would still be fantastic.
Leadership in this country is not by office anymore; it's by man.
Media exposure of all kinds is too great for a man to hide behind
his job, to isolate his person; LBJ showed that. What may be needed
by the fall is to bring Mr. Nixon out behind the vail of his job
Page 3
Mr. Jonathan Rose
to show that he can exercise personal, not just presidential,
leadership. I think Mr. Nixon can do that and I think he will
have to do so eventually to avoid letting the TV commentators,
the newspaper columnists, the intellectuals, and the kids con-
vince the country that Mr. Nixon can't handle them.
Knowing that the President will never buy what I suggested above,
there are a few other things that could be done. The presidential
road-show to the Midwest was a good thing. Do more of that kind
of thing. Let the people see Mr. Nixon in-action. Send him not
just to conventions at D.C. hotels, but out into the field to
look at problems on their own turf. Take more advantage of issues
like the environment where Mr. Nixon is strong by letting the
news media see him in national parks, examining polluted rivers,
walking through desalination plants. The President has exploited
the space program beautifully, but I don't think he's used his
other strong issues nearly as well as he could. Even hard issues
like civil rights could be dealt with more visibly. Have Mr.
Nixon go into the South personally to talk with local officials
on both sides of the desegregation question.
Uee the straight speeches the President gives more effectively.
Make Mr. Nixon eloquent. At his best, as with the State of the
Union Message, the President is quite good. Do more of that kind
of thing. The "Sub Belt" strategy or whatever it is doesn't
preclude the possibility of the President being positive from
time to time. That Bill Brock report on students was terrific.
Why can't the President say something like that? There are basic
policy problems which prevent the President from sounding like
John Lindsay, but there's no reason why he can't come out for
free speech and the right of dissent. There's no reason why he
can't empathize with the problems of the poor, the young, etc.
and appear to be visibly dealing with them. Show the nation that
the President has a philosophical direction - that he is buman and
doesn't always know he's right, but that he does have positive goals
in mind.
( why not Hard
Other resources 111 the administration could be used more effectively
The only people I ever hear about giving speeches are Bill Rogers,
Spiro Agnew, and Herb Klein. Why can't Schultz and Finch be made
into the John Gardners of this administration? Finch, especially,
has a national image and is clearly loved by the press. Teach
Finch how to give a speech, get him a new writer, and send him
out -- not just to Republican fund- FISHOS, but to prestige events,
campuses, etc. I know Finch is controversial in the South, but
he can be used very effectively in the North. Finch went over
beautifully at Harvard Law last fall, I think it was. This kind
of thing soothes the antagonism whech gives rise to visible, vocal
opposition.
Page 4
The most important thing 10 not what Mr. Nixon doon, but how
he does it. Your biggest worry is going to be how vocal the
opposition is, not who it is. No matter how much people
agree with Mr. Nixon and no matter how much interest they have
in keeping his policies continued, the President's support will
erode if it appears that he cannot confront and deal with his
critics. You've got to recognize the right of other people to
have views. You've got to stop these petulant, protective attacks
on Congress and its rights. You ve got to appear in control,
not hurt when questionned. It comes down basically to a question
of faith in the President's personal leadership. If you people
believe in Mr. Nixon's leadership in the conference room, show
him to the country on those terms. Open up the Presidancy and
keep it at a high level. That was the beauty of the 1968 campaign
until you fooze in the final month. I wpent a weekend with
Mr. Nixon in New Hampshire, he looked like a President and talked
like one and he was visible at the same time. Bring that kind
of thing back. Don't let the media give the country the impression
of Mr. Nixon that it wants to. Use the media yourselves creatively,
imaginatively to show the country the President you know - not
just for the campaign, but on a continuing basis - and Ithink you
will be able to control the rising tide of opposition.
I may be in Washington this weekend. If so, I will give you a
call. Otherwise, I presently plan to start work with the
Wahington bureau of the Wall Street Journal at the end of the
month. See you then.