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To: H.R. Haldeman From: Gordon Strachan RE: "Discussion with Tom Benham." 3pgs [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/28/1972
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WHSF: Contested, 45-46
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WHSF: Contested, 45-46
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To: H.R. Haldeman From: Gordon Strachan RE: "Discussion with Tom Benham." 3pgs [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 6/28/1972
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Contested Materials Collection
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45
46
6/28/1972
Campaign
Memo
To: H.R. Haldeman From: Gordon Strachan
RE: "Discussion with Tom Benham." 3pgs
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Page 1 of 1
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Benhen
analys
ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL
June 28, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
GORDON STRACHAN
G
SUBJECT:
Discussion with Tom Benham
Discussion with Tom Benham developed several interesting
points:
1) 1972 will not be a Johnson-Goldwater re-run
because there are too many Democrats and too few Republicans.
However, if Benham were asked to pick a percentage it would
be 55-45%
2) The President will receive substantial labor votes
because all the labor surveys that ORC has conducted indi-
cates that the labor rank and file likes the President.
The labor leaders have separated themselves from their
followers;
3) It would be very helpful to have some Democrats,
hopefully Congressmen and Senators, denounce the Democratic
ticket. This was one of the most effective things against
Goldwater in 1964;
4) The President should campaign on peace with strong
emphasis on the Peking and Moscow trips; a typical line
would be "Peace for our Children";
5) To respond to the Democratic attacks on inflation,
Benham suggests we push the line "United States Inflation
Rate Lowest in the World";
6) In choosing an enemy to run against, Benham believes
that Congress and McGovern make excellent targets. He does
not feel that we should run against Ford Motor Co. as being
- 2 -
unable to comply with pollution standards. Benham believes
this in spite of the fact that environment and pollution
control are increasingly popular with the public. The
reason Benham does not believe we should run against Ford
is that the general public will sympathize with Ford when
they go to their local Ford dealer and cannot buy a car;
7) Instead of attacking McGovern as a radical (which
only businessmen on Wall Street believe) McGovern should
be painted as naive, amateur, and too simple. He has goals
but can't reach them because he hasn't thought through his
proposals. An excellent line to push is that of his supporters
that Congress will restrain McGovern's nutty ideas SO people
needn't worry about them. This requires Congress to assume
a leadership role which the public does not feel Congress is
capable of doing;
8) Benham believes that the thrust of McGovern's campaign
will be to paint Richard Nixon as an ogre, totally controlled
by Big Business, the influence peddlers, ITT, etc.;
9) As to McGovern's Vice Presidential nominee, Benham
doubts that he will choose Kevin White to bring the Catholic
vote back to the Democrats. It is Benham's opinion that 1960
ended the political rule that a Catholic votes for a Catholic
just because he is a Catholic. Benham believes that the
President will retain his Catholic strength because of his
stands on abortion and parochial aid;
10) Benham doubts that the President can carry New York
He says he will believe it when he sees it. If the President
does carry New York, Benham believes it will be one of the
biggest election landslides ever.
11) Although George Wallace is on the ballot in New
Jersey, there is absolutely no Wallace activity currently
in New Jersey;
12) Concerning the Keynote Speech for the Republican
Convention, Tom Benham believes that something analogous
to Roosevelt's 1932 speech would be excellent. That was
the speech where Roosevelt listed a litany of "Republicans
Say X But They Voted Against X". It was a devastating
political speech because it painted the Republicans as
deceitful and covetous of office. He believes that a very
similar speech could be put together based on McGovern's
- 3 -
quotes. As to the Keynoter, Tom Benham suggests someone
like Don Rumsfeld, who is young, non-ideological, and an
excellent speaker. He believes that if Edward Brooke
would deliver the type of Roosevelt speech that he suggests,
it would be very effective. He does not think that the fact
that Brooke is a black would be a problem because the white
intolerants will say that he is a good token black and the
white moderates will say that Brooke is a perfect example
of the progressive Republican Party.