Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 1 page
doc
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Source Description

This file contains: To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Chicago Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972 To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Oklahoma Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972 To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Rhode Island - Remarks from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
26146388
label
WHSF: Contested, 47-2
core
doc
dtoType
document
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
26146388
contentType
document
title
WHSF: Contested, 47-2
description
This file contains: To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Chicago Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972 To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Oklahoma Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972 To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Rhode Island - Remarks from the field. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 11/2/1972
collections
Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
26146388
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
7ddcfb19fdb8683d
ocrText
Richard Nixon Presidential Library Contested Materials Collection Folder List Box Number Folder Number Document Date No Date Subject Document Type Document Description 47 2 11/2/1972 Campaign Memo To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Chicago Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2pgs. 47 2 11/2/1972 Campaign Memo To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Oklahoma Remarks - suggestions from the field. 2pgs. 47 2 11/2/1972 Campaign Memo To: The President. From: Ray Price. RE: Rhode Island - Remarks from the field. 2pgs. Tuesday, March 20, 2012 Page 1 of 1 MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON November 2, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: FROM: THE PRESIDENT Ruly RAY PRICE SUBJECT: Chicago Remarks -- Suggestions from the Field Ogilvie, Percy and Tom Houser (Illinois Re-elect Chairman) all think that your current speech thrusts and discussion of the next four years would be well received. Other comments: Ogilvie's office: Ogilvie is high on revenue sharing, saying he made his decision to commit himself to RN when Nixon vowed to him to fight for revenue sharing. On the day after the revenue sharing signing ceremony, Ogilvie issued an official call for a special State Legislature session to be convened on November 26 to freeze property taxes, dedicate all of the State's revenue sharing funds to schools, and urge local governments to use revenue sharing funds for property tax relief. Ogilvie has used a joint Nixon/Ogilvie campaign approach and would appreciate the strongest possible endorsement from the President. Ogilvie's problems are in the traditional areas of the Chicago suburbs and most acutely in downstate Illinois where the tax issue has hurt. The President, however, is doing quite well downstate. Houser: Urged that Ogilvie be emphasized, as the Governor "drastically" needs the help of the President in his "neck and neck" race. He also requested that the President endorse Senator Percy and "the rest of the State Republican ticket. 11 Houser said he is being told by many people that "why should we work hard when the President isn't bothering to campaign hard" -2- and said something to counter that feeling would be helpful. He also said that a Presidential put-down of the opposition would get a good reaction. Percy: Echoes the need for a strong endorsement of Ogilvie and Bernard Carey (Hanrahan's opponent) -- and also for another state- ment of Presidential concern regarding the rail tragedy, the thorough- ness of the forthcoming investigation, etc. He suggested a heavy emphasis on the Administration's fight against crime and drug abuse, possibly including a reference to the fact that Percy was instrumental in getting through the $800 million bill that gave permanent status to the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention, headed by Dr. Jerome Jaffe, who came from Illinois and has good visibility there. Health care also important. Percy said he recently sent out 450, 000 spending priority question- naires and got 250, 000 back. The ove rwhelming answer: spend less on space and foreign aid and spend more fighting drugs. He said the second item in the "spend more" category was not even close. Percy's campaign manager cites Ike letter to Percy in 1967 com- mending him for being "his own man. 11 That's the type of campaign Percy is now running, per his manager. On the matter of party loyalty, Percy's campaign manager thinks it would be of help to all if the President would recall that former President Eisenhower, in a March 1967 letter to Percy, said this: "Of one thing I am sure, you will continue to be your own man and that in politics is of unusual importance. 11 "He is his own man" is Percy's campaign theme, the manager reported. He added that the latest polls show Ogilvie leading by just one point and that 6-7 percent of the Republicans are planning to vot e against Percy. If all of this GOP slippage occurs, the Percy people say, it will endanger Ogilvie. Both Percy and the Governor's office mentioned that there had been a recent wave of murders in the suburban areas around Chicago and that reference to the Administration's determination to fight crime and its success in doing so would be well received. MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON November 2, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: FROM: RAY PRICE THE PRESIDENT Rus1 SUBJECT: Oklahoma Remarks Suggestions from the Field Opinions from the field were in general accord on three points: 1. Peace and prosperity are good themes now, but Oklahomans still like it with a conservative twist. 2. Bartlett would be helped tremendously by RN simply saying, "I need Dewey Bartlett in the U. S. Senate and so do the people of Oklahoma. " Also should stress his integrity, long acquaintance, and sound, conservative approach to spending. 3. The Russian wheat sale is sensitive. Pending now is a $160 million law suit for losses allegedly incurred because advance notice was given to the big grain dealers. Most observers think the suit is not cutting deeply against RN -- the farmers think they 'll get their share next year -- but the subject is still controversial. Other points raised: Bartlett's office: RN running 70-30 over McGovern in Oklahoma, so anything he says in Tulsa will be well received. Trips to SU, PRC have made RN a true statesman to them. Henry Bellmon: Reference to Arkansas Navigation Channel and visit last June would be in order. Busing an issue in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, but better not to get into it. -2- Clarence Warner (GOP State Chairman): RN is liked for his strong record on law and order, support of North American-Rockwell. Points out that Edmundson was paired against revenue sharing. Also urges RN to cite Hank Tolliver and Jim Hewgley in addition to Bartlett. Rita Moore (State CRP Chmn. ): Oklahomans worried about peace agreement; they don't want a coalition government now and question cease-fire in place. Thinks RN might mention busing. Clayton Yeutter (Regional Director, CRP): Three big issues are war, inflation, and taxes. Mining of Haiphong was big plus for RN. Oklahomans are anti-welfare, anti-hippy, pro-tax reform, pro-tax relief, pro-law and order, and anti-amnesty. Page Belcher's office: If Bartlett wins, Oklahoma will have 2 votes for change; Harris vote now cancels out Bellmon's. Also asks for mention of Hewgley. MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON November 2, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: FROM: RAY PRICE THE PRESIDENT Ru 12 SUBJECT: Rhode Island Remarks Suggestions From the Field Readings from the field are generally consistent, stressing the need to avoid strong partisan attack on the Democratic Party in this over- whelmingly Democratic State. In Senate race, Chafee is emphasizing the need for a strong Navy (Navy is Rhode Island's single biggest industry) and is running hard against McGovern. He is also stressing his own record as an aggres- sive, effective Governor and Secretary of the Navy, contrasted to the tepid, low-key record and style of incumbent Pell. He is not running as a totally committed Nixon man. In Governor's race, DeSimone is also running as a dynamic problem solver. A subsidiary theme of his campaign is "open government" but his people think it would best be avoided in Presidential remarks due to opposition harping on Watergate. They would like to see stress placed on DeSimone's record as a strong, effective Assistant Secre- tary of Transportation, where he demonstrated his ability as an administrator, responsible for 110 thousand employees and an annual budget of 8.5 billion. His people stress that DeSimone has been a strong Nixon man, never running away from the national ticket -- a real team player. The only important incumbent Republican holding State office is Attorney General Richard Israel, who is looking good in his bid for reelection. The State party people thought it would be good to mention him in passing, along with the rest of the State ticket. -2- Despite a reputation as a liberal Democratic stronghold, there is serious opposition to McGovern even in State Democratic organiza- - tional ranks. He is not popular and the polls show the President beating him strongly, with Chafee and DeSimone also ahead (see October Providence Journal poll cited in fact sheet). Ethnic resistance is strong to McGovern's policy of national weakness and to the whole welfare ethic, and there is a real fear that a McGovern Presidency would wipe out many jobs and weaken Rhode Island's economy through cutbacks or closings of service facilities in States. While the State party people want the President to win big, they are also understandably hoping that many disgruntled Democrats will simply sit the election out, making it easier for the GOP State ticket. They feel the President's presence alone will motivate voters who are for him, and that a strong pitch for a massive turnout in this particular State could hurt rather than help GOP/New Majority prospects at the polls. #####