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To: Buchanan. From: Khachigian. RE: Thoughts for Romney's speech. With draft attached. 8 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/27/1972
Handwritten notes. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Other Document], no date
Draft article. "Running with Muskie -- How to Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory". 11 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Newspaper], 9/24/1971
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This file contains:
To: Buchanan. From: Khachigian. RE: Thoughts for Romney's speech. With draft attached. 8 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 9/27/1972
Handwritten notes. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Other Document], no date
Draft article. "Running with Muskie -- How to Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory". 11 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Newspaper], 9/24/1971
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Richard Nixon Presidential Library
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47
27
9/27/1972
Campaign
Memo
To: Buchanan. From: Khachigian. RE:
Thoughts for Romney's speech. With draft
attached. 8pgs.
47
27
Campaign
Other Document
Handwritten notes. 2pgs.
47
27
9/24/1971
Campaign
Newspaper
Draft article. "Running with Muskie -- How
to Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory".
11pgs.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Page 1 of 1
9/27/71
FOR: BUCHANAN
FROM: KHACHIGIAN
THOUGHTS FOR ROMNEY'S SPEECH
While he should go on the attack against RN's critics, I think
a spirited defense of the Administration would be useful. The
defense however, should be selective rather than across the board.
I.e., Romney should defend on our long suits.
-- Should make the case for RN in foreign policy. The whole idea
should be to picture RN as the heavyweight when matched up against
any of the potential Dem candidates. Again: good points to make
on Vietnam, SALT, etc.
But the main point is the thematic one of RN as leading America's
foreign policy with "a golden hand." The sturdy, thoughtful, precise
maker and executor of foreign policy.
-- Domestic policy. There is a case to be made, but not so much
a programmatic one as a symbolic one. The RN who didn't overpromise,
who didn't bring bombast to his pronouncements, who simply went out
to do the job that was needed. Result: a more stable society in the
institutional sense, peace in our streets, etc.
-- I would put in a good word for the Nixon approach of calm in
place of charisma -- but would not overdo the style thing.
Page 2
-- Hitting the opponents should be a central rationale for the
speech, and if, as you say, names can be used, I suggest some of
the following portrayals of the opposition. Henry Jackson: An able
supporter of the President on foreign policy and renouncer of
extremism in Dem ranks. But it ends there, for Scoop is an
ADA liberal, bent on making the Federal government the ultimate
decision point in our lives. His attacks on the President's handling
of the economy have been just short of Demagogy -- not the best
characteristic for a man of decent instincts, but who has been driven
by a political party which has as its sworn purpose the destruction
of Richard Nixon no matter what the cost.
Ed Muskie: Muskie would be one of the worst choices for President.
He knows nothing about foreign policy (was swayed by Kosygin in the
famous Moscow meeting), would be totally untrustworthy in the
important discussions of foreign policy. He just can't swing it. He
is temperamental and prone to follow the troops. He is really a
non-entity fashioned by the liberal press into some kind of Democratic
Moses. Query: What one thing can you point to that Muskie stands
for or has accomplished? In short, he is a faceless man, a man
utterly without the credentials to be President of the United States.
Imagine him meeting with Chou En Lai?
Page 3
Teddy Kennedy: Immature, aloof, doesn't know what hard times
are. Quick on the trigger; irrational, incapable of being decisive
in a crises. He's like a little kid take away his rattle and he'll
run crying to momma. The least likely person we would want
to entrust affairs of state. Perhaps cite the example of Teddy's
insult to Pakistani ambassador as a trait of Teddy the Tot.
George McGovern: A petulant, crybaby who sees nothing but the
worst in his country. He wails and cries, loves the "kids" and
will never say a bad word against them. A total joke as a candidate;
he signed peoples peace Treaty with North Vietnam. Imagine his
credibility were he elected President and then asked to lead
negotiations with NVN.
Hubert Humphrey: So characteristic of the worst in the Dem party --
the hack who cries when things go bad. He's probably never made an
honest decision in his life, and probably never been held responsible
for any decision made on his behalf. The Humphrey, New Deal,
high-taxes, Vietnam candidate was beaten back in 1968 and
deservedly so. He's in the hands of the unions, and if it weren't
for George Meany, HHH would just be another homely face.
The Others: A bunch of amateurs playing the game. They are
laughable when put up against the sturdy experience of RN. It is
characteristic of the Dems today that they can't produce a President -
only a bunch of vice-presidential hopefuls; party hacks who are
beholden to every pressure group and interest group which ever
infiltrated the Democratic party.
Page 4
************
The essence of the speech should be to show how, in contrast,
every Dem is a tenor in a bass choir. Not one of them is capable
of making the hard decisions RN has. Yet they run around the
country with their "Chicken Littleism" -- a faint-hearted approach
to American problems, holding the belief that America has lost
its will. A bunch of hogwash which will be exposed in November
of 1972 when the American public will realize it has a President
to select.
Also suggest a few cracks at Congress dragging its feet --
setting the stage for RN versus Congress.
9/27/71
FOR: BUCHANAN
FROM: KHACHIGIAN
THOUGHTS FOR ROMNEY'S SPEECH
While he should go on the attack against RN's critics,
I think a spirited defense of the Administration would
be useful. The defense however, should be selective
rather than accoss the board. I.e., Romney should
defend
on our long suits.
--- Should make the case for RN in foreign policy. The
whole
idea should be to picture RN as the heavyweight
hen matched up against any of the potential Dem candidates.
Again: good points to make on Vietnam, SALT, etc.
But the main point is the thematic one of RN as
leading America's
foreign policy with "a golden
hand.' " The sturdy, thoughtful, precise maker and executor
of foreign policy.
Domestic policy. There is a case to be made, but
not so
much a programmatic one as a symbolic one. The
RN who didn't overpromise, who
didn'
bring bombast
to
his pronouncements, who simply went out to do the
job
that was needed.
Result: a more stable society
in the institutional eense,
peace in our
streets, etc.
-- I would put in a good word
for the Nixon approach
of
calm
in place of char sma -- but would not overdo
page 2
the style thing.
-- Hitting the opponents should be a central rationale
for the speech, and if, as you say, names can be used, I
suggest
some of the following portrayals of the opposition.
Henry Jackson: An able supporter of the Preisdent on foreign
policy and renouncer of extremism in Dem ranks. But it
ends there, for Scoop is an
ADA liberal, bent on making
the Federal government the ultimate decision point in our
lives. His attacks on the Presddent's handling of the
economy have been
just short of Demagogy -- not the
best
characteristic for a man of decent instincts, but
who has been driven by a political party which has as
its sworn purpose the destruction of Richard Nxxon no mat
er
what the
cost.
one of
Ed Muskie: Muskie would be the worst choices for President.
He
knows nothing about foreign policy
was swayed by
Kosygin in the famous Moscow meeting
would be totally
untrustworthy in the
important discussions of foreign policy.
He
just can't swing it. He is tempermental and
prone
to
followthe troops. He is really a non-entity fashioned
by the liberal press into some kind of Democratic Moses.
uery: What one thing can you point to that Muskie stands
for or has accomplished? In short, he is a faceless man,
a man utterly without the credentials to be President of the
United States. Imagene him meeting with Chou En Lai?
page 3
Teddy Kennedy: Immagure,
aloof, doesn't know what
hard times are.
Quick on the
trigger; irrational;
incapable of being decisive in a crisis. He's like a little
kid -- take away his rattle and he'll run crying to momma.
The least likely person we would want to entrust affairs
of state. Perhaps cite the example of Teddy's insult to
Tot.
Pakismani ambassador as a trait of Teddy the
George McGovern: A petulant, crybaby who sees nothing but
the
worst in his country. He wails and cries,
loves the "kids" and will never say a bad word
against
them. A total joke as a candidate; he signed peoples peace
treaty with North Vietnam.
Imagine his credibility
were he elected
President and then asked to le ad
negotiations with NVN.
Hubert Humphrey: So characteristic of th
wors
in the
Dem part y the hack who cries when things go bad. He's
probably
never made an honest decision in his life,
and probably never been held
responsible for any
decision made on his behalf. The
Humphrey, New Deal,
high-taxe
Vietnam
candidate
was beaten back
in 1968 and deservedly SO. He's in the hands of the unions,
and if it weren't for George Meany HHH would just be
another homely face.
The Others: A bunch of amateurs playing the game. They
are laughable when put up against the sturdy experience
page 4
of RN. It is characteristic of the
Dems today that
they can't produce a President -- only a bunch of vice-
presidential hopefuls; party hacks who are beholden to
every pressure group and
interest group which
ever infilurated the Democratic party.
*
*
*
The essence of the speech should be to show
how,
in contrast,
every Dem is a tenor in a bass chois.
Not
one of them is capable of making the hard decisions
run
RN has. Yet they
around the count ry with their
"
Chieken Littleism
a faint-hearted approach to American
problems, holding the
belief that America has
lost its will. A
bunch of hogwash which will be
exposed
in November of 1972 when the American public will
realize it has a President to select.
Also suggest a few crashs at
Congress dragging its' feet - -
setting the stage for RN
versus Congress.
disagreent That Blacks. Muclie is furtuner
to of
-
who's the me candicate + how
le should dealt will N,
- any bitches about the current
situation > ^
If
who we should use?
Divide Dear in 1972
0 / whose going to be hominee + stranged cardid
3 How 80 about hitting them
vaside cover - the DVQ than an
China iDsert that
you can will out. Hitan the
Blach thing again.
last thee weeks clips m Mushie a
all MONSA Y, preces
Mushie's don ed Xa
new system level Say he ll
wen N.H. ant has to do as well
as Rx did in 1968 Dr. approsition
Smah Primaries T when they are for
Muslye HEMK poll Field
Isral -only one clean frish a visiD.
roll in Calif EMK visited
/ EMIL leading - call + EC.S-
- Black leep
= CSM survey Muslie drogged
- Behind RN in w Gallyp
- -EMK sees Muslie shimp - will
what July does,
(imp in - with waiting to see
draft - Khachigian
9/24/71
RUNNING WITH MUSKIE -- OR HOW TO SNATCH DESEAT FROM THE
JAWS
OF VICTORY
If Ed Muskie looks behidd him, he's going to see the
C
pack catching up, for just as sure as George McGovern
is a forlorn loser, Ed Muchie has deftly engineered CODE away
his lead in the Democratic presidetial sweepstakes. MONDAY's
prediction of not & too long ago is may coming to pass:
Muskie looks like he
make it.
Item: When Muskie pulled into California last n
Labor
Day to kick off his campaign, he found the prestigious California
Field poll waiting for him with the the bad news that Ted
Kennedy led
among Denocratic voters in California by
a margin of two to one.
Item: Muskie has frittered mushis callup poll leads.
Be now trails Ted Kennedy as the favorite of the Democratic
voters and is being by President Nixon in the Intest
Presidential trial heat.
Item: The trusty Christian Science Monitor poll of local
as
Democratic leaders shows that Duskie has "dropped
back" N over the last few months from his early leads in the
cycs of over 30% of those polled. Over half of the Democratic
pols that questioned of soid them was still a possibility of
page 2
a dark horse emerging. Bad news for the guy they said would
walk away
from the field in 1972.
Why the turnaround on Muskie?
Washington
address
colummists, Svans and Novak, have
reported that Muskie has lost ground
Date
"through a
series of errors and misjudgments. " The political miscues
have made Democratic governors disenchanted with Big Ed
and this is precisely the reason such big? state governors
as Ohio's John Gilligan are going 20 to run as favorite
sons to pre-empt Muskie's bumbling participation in their
primaries.
Muskie's position on the central issues are causing
him trouble. His down-the-line support of forced busing to
Busing
achieve racial Millions balonce is simply bad
policy. While he has tried to cover himself on this issue,
Muskie neverthe SS has maintained that busing is a "useful
tool to achieve internation that Corced buning
page 3
would rapidly bring the destruction of the
neighborhood school concept.
Being a strong
a
advoce te of busing is not going to help Muskie with the
millions of parents who prefer their children's education
to be peaceful instead of disruptive, and if Muskie continues
to abet the UP systematic destruction of American education,
the fat cats who are bankrolling Muskie better be adviNed
that they have invested in a bear market.
Muskie fares no better on other issues. His potulant
rantings over President 0 Nixon's economic initiatives have
and
left
him out in the C cold during the CO freeze, /out
It has been generally
of touch with union rank and file
AND
acknowledged that his substitute suggestion of a consumer
tax credit fell on its face -- a fact reported by liberal
pundit, Joseph Kraft. Add those troubles to in
tardy embrace of/dove feathers, <03 and you have
page 4
a presidential hopeful in deep trouble.
As if to hasten his demise, Ed Muskie made (as Republican
Hugh Scott noted) a "voyage from foot to mouth" on the
sensitive issue of whether black CA citizens can play a
role in Democratic 03 political circles. Big Ed, who
maintains that he's in favor of civil rights as much NA as
anyone, enraged black leaders by telling them that although
they have broken their backs for the party, they
might as well forget about joining his ticket. The
response of black leaders: Gross whole contro to dinner Ed?
Jet magazine, a prominent black publication promptly
blasted Muskie: "How the party's 1968 vice presidential
candidate, a member of the Polish minority, would feel free
to 'explode' the political aspirations of millions of Black
voters a at the start of his intensive drive for the
with
nomination was beffling. # 2013 Jet suggested that
Munkie base had killed "the carent fox the Besocranic Party's
page 5
most faithful Black followers. =
Too bad for Muskie, but several Black leaders wouldn't
accept his if-your-black-step-back - attitude. Black
Congresswomens, Shirley Chishoam, 0 has now announced 0 she will
declare for the Presidency on New Years Day and enter at
least three primaries - fighting Muskie in North Carolina,
Florida and California, C3 where he hoped he could again
take the name black a vote for granted. Jesse Tackson,
of Operation Breadbasket and SIX another prominent black
leader, called Nuskie a "racist" and opined: "Muskie is
out
Muskie sa has no domestic plans, RGP no economic
programs, nor has be outlined programs for bringing people
together
Muskie smells musty."
To sum up the insensitive and divisve
Muskie position, political columnist John Roche said: "No
one waths a barefoot innoncent wandering around ** D. the
page 6
What should really make
Mr.
nervous is that
his rivals smell on blood and won't leave the nomination
to the amateurish antics of the Downeast hero.
Teddy Kennedy has
seen what's happened and is clearly reappraising his
own coy position. Teddy is disappointed with
Muskie because Ed's AUTHORIZED left-liberalism does not
take in the satin hots, pants radicals that make up
his own constituency. Secing McGovern fumble around
like a fourth-string fullback date will soon convince Teddy
that he can't sit back and number watch the Kennedy torch passed
on to Ed Muskie.
Kennedy's stepped up interest was en confirmed recently
when Teddy and Joan visited Israel, the de rigeur pilgrimage
for Democratic presidential candidates on the make. The only
thing that Kennedy is waiting for is to see what John (television
let
profile) Lindsey in going to Co. John, who his hours
page 7
in Manhattan, has got to C2 get into the primaries to
prove himself, and before he gets too far, Kennedy will
enter, scoop up the old Kennedy hands who were wet-nursing
George McGovern, and blitz the Democratic National Convention
carrying "the burden my brothers dropped." At least, that is
how the Kennddy forces sce it, and to get there, only Muskie
S tands slightly in the way.
As for Bushie, the scenario of the primaries are not
hopeful for him. The first TOKER symbolic test in New Hampshire
is not going to be the cotton candy that Muskie had hoped for.
Little to
New Hampshire is Muskie country, it is in Maine's back
pluch
100
yard, and not one seriously expects Muskie to be
beaton there. But Muskie the at a high goal VISIT
next March: be must match Richard
Pixon's 79,6 margin in the 1968 New Hanpshare primary before
he CAD call it a vicence, 12 tiest in can't make 79% in
page 8
a state where he has everything going for him, then he is in
deep trouble. Other Democratics are virtually conceding New
Hampshire to Muskie and will show their faces only because
of the tradition of the first and primary.
If Muskie gets less than SCER 75% of the New Hampshire
vote, he is going to be limping into Florida where his
refined Georgetion radicalism won't stand him in good stead.
All Democrats will be on the Florida primary ballot unless they
sign an afficavit saying they won't run for President, and
they will be gunning for Muskie wis one way or the other.
Add to MD the standard) Democrat hopetiuls the candidacies
of George Wallace and Shire Chisholm, and Muskie's going
to want to swallow hard and cry for his mother. Scoop Jackson,
who is aiming all his guns at Florida, will also be in Muskie's
way and when the CTY dust settles, Muskie will no longer
be Mr. Clean.
page 9
Wisconsin follows Florida, and Muskie will take his
bleeding campaign in to face feisty George McGovern whose
sell-out-Vietnam views find
favor among a great number
of dovish Democrats in Wisconsin. Not only will McGovern
be sure to give Muskie trouble, but Wisconsin's popular
Senator, Willi Proxmire, is almost sure to make the run
to parlay his vast home state support into a bargaining
blue he can take to Miami to CTLY broker the a vice-
presidaStial nomination for himself. In short: Muskie
WINNER
looks like he will be Menied the Wisconsin victory that
he needs and must search for other
primaries to RES get the victory he needs.
But the other primaries include Tennessee and North
Carolina where George HBA Wellace will again pr obably
make race in the Democratic prima. Asking
Southern
Democrate to suallow Ed Muckie over George
Wailnes issues Like neking the i rebi to deliver the Christmas
page 10
sermon. Muskie's pro-busing stance won't help him in Dixie,
and
he just might find it a good idea to get out to
Oregon and "California there Jackson, Lindsay and
Konnedy will be waiting to ambush him. Oregon is in
Henry Jackson's
a
back yard, and his popularity in the
Northwest is going to make Muskie's recovery somewhat difficult.
McGovern will have stuck 8 it out to Oregon, Lindsay will
be on the ballot, and Teddy will be waiting to pick up
the pieces in California.
enough
Having victories to get to the convistion,
1
Muskie will enter Miami Beach having outrageous temper
tested, his lightweight political positions aired, his
amateurish staff Check otherworked, his deficit budget
stretched, and a left wing howling after his a marshmellow
positions. Ed Muskie's not out of the 3 race yet; he's
got too much pride to pull out. But one thing is clear,
page 11
to Miami will not be an easy one for the guy who
just
weeks
ago everyone said had it made.