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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 47 43 10/12/1972 Campaign Memo From Khachigian to Shumway RE: attachment being used in the media. 3 pgs. 47 43 10/7/1972 Campaign Report Statement for Senator Goldwater on Cora Weiss and her ilk. 8 pgs. 47 43 10/4/1972 Campaign Memo From Khachigian to Haldeman RE: Presidential Campaigning. 17 pgs. Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 1 of 1 DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT] DOCUMENT DOCUMENT NUMBER TYPE SUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS DATE RESTRICTION N-1 Memo Khachigian to themoway ,re: 10/12/72 [Doc 19] c(mix) attached on darge r national antham, with annolated copy Y dropt Copy N- 2 Speech Statement for Senator Goldwater 10/7/72 on Cara curise and her Ill, with e c mited [Doc 20] attached draft copy ,U-3 memo Kachijian & Haldenan, ne: Bresidential Campa-gning, 10/4/72 [Doc 21] (AMIX) with attached draft copy FILE GROUP TITLE BOX NUMBER 7 FOLDER TITLE October I 1972] (20/23 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 D. Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy G. Withdrawn and return private and personal material.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 H. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.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: Kenneth L. Khachigian Box Number: 7 Folder: October [1972] [2 of 2] Document Disposition 19 Return Private/Political 20 Return Private/Political 21 Return Private/Political October 12, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: VAN SHUMWAY FROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN Do you think you can milk the attached for a few columns? They would also be good material for "Washington Wire" type columns. Maxine Cheshire might even want to run the one on Sarge and the National Anthem. Attachments Plain paper 10/12/72 MEMO TO VAN SHUMWAY a FROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN Do you think you can milk the attached for a few columns? They would also be good material for "Wabhington Wire" ** type columins. Maxine Chesaire might even want to run the one on Sarge and the National Anthem. October 12, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: VAN SHUMWAY FROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN the Do you think you can milk the attached for a few columns? They would also be good material for "Washington Wire" type columns. Maxine Cheshire might even want to run the one on Sarge and the National Anthem. Attachments Ken - 2 sant then (The out on e on to Reg Louth marphy and to Bob the the allen ( the one on Natural anther Va October 7, 1972 STATEMENT FOR SENATOR GOLDWATER ON CORA WEISS AND HER ILK Senator McGovern has managed to surround himself with a menagerie which we probably won't ever see matched again in any campaign. He's got Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman endorsing him and Ramsey Clark traveling to Hanoi for him. But the ones I find most despicable are those who trampled the flag of the United States when they propagandized the release of three POWs. Cora Weiss and David Dellinger -- the Hanoi Odd Couple -- took off for Hanoi and played the enemy's game by letting it pluck the propaganda strings of the POW release. What a sight to see American servicemen being used by the American surrender movement to spread hate for America and its role in Southeast Asia. I'm glad that we got our boys back, but I am outraged at the way their lives were used by anti-war-person Weiss and the pre-eminent pacifist, David Dellinger. Cora Weiss is today the most frustrated person in the world. You will recall that when the POWs were returned to American soil she screamed to American newsmen: "We have just witnessed a recapture scene, one incarceration replacing another. 11 My only regret is that Cora didn't stay behind in Hanoi in trade for the POWs. What really frustrates Ms. Weiss is that Major Edward Elias would not spout anti- - war sentiments for benefit of the television cameras. She moaned that Page 2 Elias had indicated anti-war sentiments in Hanoi but deceived her by not doing so in America. What Ms. Weiss overlooked was that Major Elias was engaging in the time-honored tradition of not tearing one's country down. Where does George McGovern fit into all this? It is a matter of public record that Cora Weiss is a member of the Citizens Committee of New Yorkers for McGovern, along with former Mayor Robert Wagner and other luminaries. The logical next step is that Cora Weiss visited Hanoi as Mr. McGovern's agent in the POW release and acted as his P.R. representative to see that McGovern could squeeze a few pounds of publicity out of this spectacle. The fact that George McGovern rushed out press releases attacking the Defense Department during this period indicates that the Weiss-Dellinger operation was tightly orchestrated out of the McGovern headquarters. David Dellinger must also be a prize catch for Senator McGovern. Dellinger is one of the famous Chicago Seven indicted for disrupting the 1968 Democratic Convention. What is rarely publicized about Mr. Dellinger is that he served a prison sentence during World War II for refusing to serve in the armed forces. It comes as no surprise that one who is unwilling to fight the Nazis is no less unwilling to do anything to hurt the Communist North Vietnamese. Page 3 About all one can say is that George McGovern deserves the Hanoi Odd Couple. I only hope that George regains his senses someday and repudiates these nuts and kooks who play footsy with him. He is going to learn his lesson the hard way on the morning of November 8th. Dobert 9/20/12 FDR Jr. on committee for McGovern in N.Y. NEW YORK - (AP) - support the presidential bid of Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. yes- Senator George S. McGoven terday was listed as a were released by former Mayor Robert F. Wagner, member of the Citizens Com- state campaign chairman for mittee of New Yorkers for the South Dakota Democrat. McGovern. Others on the committee Three other some of former include Mayor John V. President Franklin Roosevelt - James, John and Elliott - Lindsay, State Comptroller have endorsedPresident Arthur Levitt, Buffalo Mayor Nixon. Frank Sedita, former U.S. The names of about 200 Attorney Ramsey Clark and members of the committee to anti-war activist Cora Welss. 10/7/72 -draft Khachigiain STATEMENT FOR SENATOR GOLDWATER ON CORA WEISS AND HER ILK Senator McGovern has managed to surround himself with a menagerie which we probably won't ever see matched campaign: He's got Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman endor ing him and Ramsey Clark traveling to Hanoi for him. But the ones I find most despicable are those who trampled the flag of the United States when they propagandized the release of three POWs. Cora Weiss and David Dellinger -- the Hanoi Odd Couple -- took off for Hanoi and played the enemy's game by letting it the propaganda strings of the POW release. What a sight to see American servicemen being used by the American surrender movement to spread hate for America and its role in Southeast Asia. I'm glad that we got our boys back, but I am outraged at the way their lives were used by anti-war-person Weiss and the pre-eminent pacifist, David Dellinger. Cora Weiss is today the most frustrated person in the world. You will recall that when the POWs were returned to American soil she screamed to A erican newsmen: We have just witnessed a recapture scene, one incarceration replacing another " My only regret is that Cora didn't stay behind in Hanoi trade for the POWs. What really frustrates Ms. Weiss is that page 2 Major Edward Elias would not spout anti-war sentiements for be nefit of the television camersa. She moaned that Elias had indicated anti-war sentiments in Hanoi but deceived her by not doing so in America. What Ms. Weiss overlooked that Major Elias was engaging in the time-honored tradition of not tearing one's country down. Where does George McGovern fit into all this ? It is a matter of public record that Cora Weiss is a member of the Citizens Committee of New Yorkers for McGovern, along with former Mayor Robert Wagner and other luminaries. The logical next is Cora Weiss visited Hanoi as Mr. McGovern's agent in the POW release and acted as his P.R. representative to see that McGovern could squeeze a few pounds of publicity out this spectacle The fact that Senator McGovern rushed out press releases attacking the this seriod Defense Department indicates that the Weiss-Dellinger operation was tightly orchestrated out of the McGovern headquarters. David Dellinger must also be a prize catch for Senator McGovern. Dellinger is one of the famous Chicago Seven indicted for disrupting the 1968 Demo- cratic Convention. What is rarely publicized about Mr. Dellinge page 3 is that he served a prison sentence during World War II for refusing to serve in the armed forces. It comes as no surprise that one who is unwilling to fight the Nazis is no less unwilling to do anything to hurt the Communist North Vietnamese. About all one can say is that George McGovern deserves the Nanoi Odd Couple. I only hope that George regains his senses someday and repudiates these nuts and kooks play footsy with him. He is going to learn his lesson the hard way on the morning of November 8th. P. (beteer make a few extra) Make me a copy/of attached X for McGovern rhetoric file. Then take the original and send it Dick Howard along with his memo to me -- I don't need to keep a copy of his memo. k THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON October 4, 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: MR. HALDEMAN KEN KHACHIGIAN Der FROM: SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNING From the vantage point of having tracked the opposition activities more closely than most observers, I am submitting these thoughts as to what's ahead for us when the President takes to the hustings. I am convinced that the extent of the victory on November 7 -- or even whether that victory will be of historic landslide proportions - - will be determined almost solely by the Presidential tone in the last three weeks of the campaign. If the returns coming in from the New York/California swing mean anything, it is that the anti-McGovern line, coming from the President, may be counterproductive. We all know that there exists in the media a great deal more tolerance for the rhetorical excesses coming out of the Democrats. There is nothing approaching a groundswell of editorial comment and subtle television reportage which attaches the labels "divisive" or "polarizing" on the opposition ticket. It comes out more like "hard- hitting" and "spirited." I regret to say that we must live with this double standard for the remainder of the campaign. I do not think there is anything we can do to prevent it. The question is how to deal with it in terms of Presidential tone. The wonder of television is that it can belie any editorial comment or criticism. For example, if, on the tube, the President is lofty, spirited, and uplifting, it is difficult for the commentators to make the public think differently. If Dan Rather says RN was "harsh" or "strident" and the television image is objectively not harsh, then Rather has been effectively rebutted. The voters are not damn fools in this respect. Page 2 What will hurt is when the President takes to the attack -- say, per the Cassie Mackin report of last week -- and gets a label hung around him by the Rathers and Jarriels. If the image confirms the commentary, I fear we lose points. Consequently, if the label is effectively pinned on RN that he is divisive and polarizing, we will have handed George McGovern one of his most potent campaign issues. I believe this will be as central an issue as anything else in the campaign. The fact that McGovern has picked up his personal attacks more decisively this week is proof positive that the Democrats think they have the right combination. The one thing that we cannot afford to do in the last three weeks of the campaign is to allow McGovern to make RN the campaign issue. He is desperately trying to do this and will probe for an opening. One of the basic components of the landslide margin in the current polls is, of course, the overwhelming support from Democrats. About a third of this is "soft" support, and many of these Democrats will be searching for a reason not to vote for RN. McGovern will try to give them as many reasons as possible -- the basic one which will be "you cannot trust him; he is tricky, political, " etc. Let's not give them the opening. It is interesting that we have come full circle from the time of the primaries. McGovern was the white Knight, anti-politician. RN was the quintessential politician. Now, according to all polls, McGovern skidded because he turns out to be just another politician while RN is perceived as statesmanlike and Presidential -- a man you could trust. But it is important to remember that if the public was volatile enough to switch quickly from McGovern to RN on the "politician" issue, it can just as quickly switch back in a pendulum swing. That will be McGovern's secret weapon -- try to rehabilitate him- self as an anti-politician (he began that Monday) and when RN comes out on the stump, put the politician label on him as rapidly as possible. With the media's help, that could be done in a matter of days. We are not inevitably locked into this scenario. Again, it is my opinion that the public will not buy the politician label for RN if, in fact, there is little in his image and tone which projects "politics." We can frustrate the media on this account. And let us remember, too, that once RN is out campaigning, the press may complain about his lack of discussion of the issues, but that charge is one which won't make a damn bit of difference. If RN is talking about what we perceive to be important to the voting public, then we should not be bound by what the gurus of the press think should be said. Page 3 This brings me to the more crucial part of the analysis. If there are certain things the President should not do, what, in fact, should be the tone and content of his campaign effort? First, I don't believe that the President should move out any of the attack material, and if so, only by strong, positive RN counter- positions. If we are doing our job right on the staff level, we can get the attack stuff out. So far, I think, without a doubt, we have succeeded in hanging some uncomfortable labels on McGovern. His efforts to wiggle off the fishhook are proof that we have hit a nerve. Moreover, the polls confirm that McGovern is tarred with the radical label. The job from the Vice-Presidential level on down is to keep that record of radicalism out front. I don't doubt our ability to do that. But the Presidential level should be altogether different. I frankly think the President need not even concern himself with pointing out the radicalsim in the opposition camp. I say this, not because I think it is unfair for a President to do this, but because RN gets unfair treatment when he does it. If RN did so, the focus then comes back to RN's tactics" rather than to the record we want to surface to the public. Instead, there are a number of things the President can do as he campaigns to keep Republican spirits high, prevent too much Democra- tic party slippage, and, in general, go into election eve with the feeling that a posture has been presented to the American public which maintains its confidence in the stewardship of RN. (1) In my judgment, one of the central issues of this campaign is the "good" America of RN versus the "corrupt" America of McGovern. I think McGovern has been absolutely stupid in the way he has been seen to side with those who tear America down. The best way to exploit this is from the positive side of RN's belief in a good country. I know this has been a thematic favorite of the President's, but I think it needs to be developed as a more comprehensive slice of the pie we are presenting this year. You saw the Yankelovich results in TIME which said that McGovern's biggest miscalculation was on the depth of bitterness and dissatisfaction among the voters. And 75% of those sampled said that they were sick and tired of hearing people attack American values. I don't mean here simply a few paragraphs on America being a good country, but a full speech should be developed on this subject, and I would think that it be one of the first delivered. Page 4 The best contrast of the campaign will be the bitchy George McGovern with his whining, whimpering, crybaby attitude matched against the strong confidence of RN. The people of America are not basically mean-minded and sour, but are, instead, people who respond to lift and optimism. McGovern erred in trying to harvest the bitter fruit when in fact there is, as the polls universally show, an almost screne satisfaction with the way things are. The desire is for change, sure, but, damn-it-all, change which plays on the goodness of America, not that which craps all over its institutions. (2) The President should develop, or ask to have developed for him, some basic lines which respond with calculated indignation to some of the pure bull that McGovern is throwing around. This is a chance for RN to take the extremely important underdog role -- an effective role I believe. I am referring to such things as the Hitler quotes, the "barbarism" in Vietnam, the charge that he's lied about POWs, etc. A healthy dose of modulated anger would be good for the electorate and good for RN. For example, he might say: "My friends, I have served as your President for nearly four years, and I am not about to sit back and be compared to Adolph Hitler. It is a tribute to free speech that candidates can make such charges, but it is not a tribute to the political process to have the world watch the President of the United States equated with the most hated dictator of our time. 11 A number of lines roughly like that would be effective, I believe. Note: if any more anti-war hecklers become a visible problem and can be seen and heard on television, the President might effectively say: "I think the American people are tired of being called murderous and war-mongers. You have the right to question our policy, but don't you for one minute try to impugn the motives or the morality of the citizens of our country. " Here, RN defends the public. (3) One effective point is to rebut the moralism of George McGovern. This should be done by pointing out that no one has a monopoly on morality, and that it doesn't help the political process for the opposition candidate to suggest that only what he thinks is right and what everybody else thinks is wrong. RN might say that he may not agree with some- one, but that he doesn't try to act morally superior or hide behind a shield of rectitude. Page 5 This point has turned up in a number of columns -- namely, reporters confessing chagrin at McGovern's pious morality. RN needs to make the point as well. (4) It may sound incongruous, but I believe that RN must address an all-black audience during the campaign. Charles Bartlett had an excellent column pointing out that McGovern has taken the blacks for granted in a subtle attempt to get white working class Democrats back into the fold. RN addressing a black audience will have several effects. It will get excellent play and emphasize he is the President of all the people. If tuned to the black middle class -- rather than the "We Shall Overcome" overblown rhetoric of LBJ -- it can get votes, especially if RN goes right to the heart of the matter of those who denigrate blacks by lumping them together as all poor, ignorant, etc. It would also probably send McGovern scurrying to patch up things with the blacks and cause him, perhaps, to overreact and line himself up with a political posture which won't help him. Finally, it would exploit the frustration in the bl ack leadership at being taken for granted by the Democrats and promote the emphasis that RN has done more for minority advancement than any other President. (5) One of the things that keeps turning up in voter surveys in terms of dissatisfaction with McGovern is the fact that he is changing his tune on everything and promising something for everybody. It looks like -- and is -- crass expediency. It also confirms that McGovern is not anti- politician, but pure politician RN can advance his cause by making a virtue of the fact that promises have not been wildly bandied about in his administration, and the reason for the turbulent 60's (a subtle reminder of what we had in those years) was the overblown rhetoric which could not be delivered in programs. This will posture RN as the one who is not the expedient politician who promises all things to all men. "We did not make promises we could not keep. " In the Haynes Johnson survey, here is what an ethnic Democrat, who retired early because he was unemployed, and voted for McGovern in the primary, said: "Now I think he's (McG) more two-faced, like trying to tell people he's going to help them get jobs. They all like to do the promises, but he's gone beyond most of them, whereas Nixon knows what we've got to do. " (6) Hold the hands of Democrat defectors by telling audiences that what we have done in foreign policy is the same thing JFK et al. would have done. Page 6 (7) Emphasize domestic stability and the sense of pride and respect America now has for itself. McGoo is on the wrong side of the issue if he continues to think Americans hate themselves. (8) When emphasizing the international turnaround -- cite things like: who would think that not only America, but Japan would be talking to China; East Germany with West Germany; North Korea with South Korea. The great sense of quietude and stability is like calamine lotion on chickenpox. Who was ever ashamed of serenity and goodwill? (9) Do not underestimate how McGovern so effectively uses attacks on himself. It's not for nothing he gets elected in South Dakota. Here is what one of his close friends says: "There's nothing George likes better than to have them attack him as disloyal. Then he can get out his American Legion cap and dust off his Distin- guished Flying Cross and really take them on." George has already done this, and you can be sure he's lusting for RN to even hint at his loyalty. This is why I believe RN must leave the attack to others. (10) For God sake, let the word go out to all staff that the smallest mistake of judgment could foul everything. In 1968 the media played the innocuous mutual fund letter to a fair-thee-well. Let's not get nervous about things. Our opponents will desperately search for anything by which they can pin all the cliched labels on us -- for once, let's protect RN from his friends. Let's also maintain our cool about McGovern's crowds. Goldwater had much better crowds than LBJ, and in 1960, JFK was mobbed in Ohio and RN was mobbed in Atlanta -- neither carried the state in which he was mobbed. Crowds are not determinative of momentum. 10/3/72 MEMORANDUM FOR MR. HALDEMAN FROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN SUBEECT: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNING From the vantage point of having tracked watched the opposition activies more closely than most observers, I am submitting these thoughts as to what's ahead for us when the President takes to the hustings. I am convinced that the extent of the victory on November 7 -- or even whether that victory will be of historic landslide proportions -- will be determined almost solely by the Presidential tone in the last three weeks of the campaign. If the returns coming in from the New York/Celfi ornia swing mean anything, it is that the out anti-McGovern line comigg from the President, may be counterproductive. We all know that there exists in the media a great deal more tolerance for the rhetormal excesses coming out of the Democrat d writers d/co there approaching a is nothing groudswell of editorial comment and subtle television reportage which attaches the labels "divisive" or "polarizing" on the opposition ticket. It comes out more like "hard-hitting" and "spirited." page 2 I regret to say that we must live with this double standard for the remainder of the campaign. I do not think there is anything we can do to prevent it. The question is how to deal with it in terms of Presidential tone. The wonder of television is that it belie any editorial comment or criticism. or example, if, on the tube, the President is lofty, spirited, and uplifting, the commentators make the public think differently. If Dan Rather says RN was "harsh" or "strident" and the television image is objectively not harsh, then Rather has been effectively rebutted. The voters are not damn fools in this respect. What will hurt is when the President takes to the attack say, the Cassie Mackin report of last week and gets a label hung around him by the Rathers and Jarriels. If the image confirms the commentary, I fear we lose points. does this all 111 itself. If the label is effectively pinned on RN that he is divisive and polarizing, we will have handed George McGovern one of his most potent campaign issues. I believe this will be as central an issue as anything else in the campaign. The fact that McGovern has picked up personal attack more decisi bely this week is proof positive that the Democrats think they have the right combination page 3 The one thing that we cannot afford to do in the last three weeks of the campaign is to allow RN McGovern to make the campaign issue. He is despecrately trying to do this and will prob for an opening. One of the basic components of the landslide margin in the current polls is, of course, the overwhelming support from Democrats is "soft" support, and many of these Democfats will be searching for a reason not to vote for RN. McGovern will try to give them as many reasons as possible -- the basic one which will be "you cannot trust him; " he is tricky political etc. Lets not give them the opening. It is interesting that we have come full circle from the time of the primaries. McGovern was the white Knight, anti-politician. RN was the quintessential politician. Now, according to all polls, McGovern skidded because he turn out to be just another politidian while RN perceived as statesmanlike and presidential -- a man you could trust. But it is important to remember that if the public was volatile enough to swtich quickly from McGovern to RN on the "politician" issue, it can just as quickly switch back in a pendulum swing. That will be McGovern's secret weapon -- try to rehabili- tate himself as an anti-politicaan (he began that ) page 4 and when RN comes out on the stump, put the politician label on him as rapidly as possible. With the media's help, that could be done in a matter of days We are not inev tably locked into this scenario. Again, it is my opinion that the public will not buy the politician label for RN if in fact there is little in his image and tone which project S "politics " We can frustrate the media on this account. And let us remember, too, that once RN is out campaigning, the press may complain about his lack of discussion of the issues, but that charge is one which won't make a damn bit of difference If RN is ta lking about what we perceive to be important to the voting public, then we should not be bound by what the gurus of the press think should be said. This brings me to the more crucial part of the analysis. If there re certain things the President should not do, what, in fact, should be the tone and coneent of his campaign effort? First, I don't believe that the President should move out any of the attack material, and if so, only by strong RN counter-positions If we are doing our job right on the staff level, we can get the attack stuff out. so fari I think, without a page 5 doubt, we have succeeded in hanging some uncomfor able labels on McGovern. His efforts to wiggle off the fishhook are proof that we have hit Moreover, the polls confirm that McGoveen is tarred with the radical label. The job from the Vice-Presidential level on down is to keep that record of radicalism out front. I don't doubt our ability to do that. But the Presidential level hould be altbgether different. I frankly think the President need not even concern himself with pointing out the radicalism in the opposition camp. I say this, not because I think it is unfair for a President to do this, but because RN gets unfair treatment when he does it. the focus then comes back to RN's "tectics" rather than the record we want to surface to the public. Instead there are a number of things the President can do as he campaigns to keep Republican spirits high, prevent too much Democratic party slippage, and, in general, go into election eve with the feeling that a posture has been presented to the American public which maintains its confidence in the stewardship of RN. 1 he one of the centra 1 issues of this campaign is the "good" America of RN versus the "corrupt" America of McGoverm. I think McGovern has been abosolutely stupid in the way he has been seen to side with page 6 those who tear America down. The best weay to exploit RN this is from the positive aí side of belief in a good country. I know this has been a thematic favorite of the President's, but I think it needs to be developed amprehensiv. as a slice of the pie we are presenting this year. You saw the Yanke lovich reautts X TIME which said that McGovern's biggest misaalcu lation was the depth And of bitterness and dissatisfaction among the voters. 75% of those sampled said that they were sick and tired of hearing people attack American values. I don't mean here simply a few paragraphs on America being a good country full speech should be developed on this subject, and I would think that it be one of the first delivered. The best contra of the campaign will be the bitchy George McGovern with his whining, whimpering, crybaby attidude matched against the strong confidence of RN. The people of America are not basically mean minded and sour, but are, instead, people who respond to lift and optimism. McGovern erred in trying to harvest the bitter fruit when in fact there is, as the polls universally show, an almost serene satisfaction with the way things are. The desire is for change, sure, but, damn-it-all, change which plays on the goodness of America, not that which craps all over its institu ns. page X 7 L2.) The President should develop, or ask to have aveloped for him, some basic lines which respond with calculated indignation to some of the pure bull that McGovern is throwing around. This is a chance for RN to take the extremely important undergog role -- an effective role I believe. I am referring to such things as the Hitler quotes, the barbarism in Vietnam, the charge that he's lied about POWs, etc. A healthy dose of modulated anger would be good for the electorate and good for RN. or example, he might say: "My friends, I have served as your President for nearly four years, and I am not about to sit back and be compared to Adolph Hitler. It is a tribute to free speech that candidates can make such charges, but it is not a tribute to the political process to have the world watch the President of the United States equated with the most hated dicaator of our time. " A number of lines roughly like that would be effective, I believe. Note: if any more anti-war hecklers become a visible problem and can be seen and heard on television, the President might effectively say: "I think the American people are tired of being called murderens and warmongers. You have the right to question our policy, but don't you for one minute try to impugn the motives or the morality of the citizens of our country. = Here, RN defends public. page 8 (3.) One effective point is to rebut the moralism of George McGovern. This should be done by pointing out that no one has a monopoly on morality, and that it doesn't help the political process for the opposition candidate to suggest tha what he things is right and what everybody else thinks is wrong. RN might say that he may not agree with someone, but that he doesn't try to act morally superior or hide behind a shield of rectitude. This point has turned up in a number of columns -- namely, reportess confessing chagrin at McGovern's pious morality. RN needs to make the point as well. (4.) 4 It may sound incongruous, but I believe that RN must address an all-black audience during the campaign. Charles Bartlett had an excellent column pointing out that McGovern has taken the blacks for granted in a subtle attempt to get whiee working classe Democrats back into the fold. RN addressing a black audiencw will have several affects. It will get excellent play and emphasize he is the Preisdent of all the people. If tuned to the black middle class rather than the "We Shall Overcome" overblown rheotoric of LBJ -- it can get votes, especially if RN goes right to the heart of the matter of those who denigrate blacks by lumping them together as all poor, ignorant, etc. page 9 It would also probably send McGovern scurrying to patch up things with the blacks and cause him, perhaps, to overreact a nd line himself up with a political posture which won't help him. Finally, it would exploit the frustration in the black leadership at being taken for granted by the Democrats and promote the emphasis that RN has done more for minority than any other President. (5.) One of the things that keeps turning up in voter surveys in terms of dissasisfaction with McGovern is the fact that he is changing his tune on everything and promising something for everybody. It looks like -- and is -- crass expediency. It also confirms that McGovern is not anti- polificaan, but pure politiican. RN can advance his cause by making a virute of the fact that promises have not been wildly bandied about in his administration, and the reason for the turbulent 60's (a subtle reminder of what we hand in those years) was the overblown rhetoric which could not be delivered in programs. This will posture RN as the one who is not the expedient politician who promises all things to all men. "We did not make promises we could not keep. = In the Haynes Johnson survey, here is what an athnic Democrat, who retired early because he was unemployed, and voted for McGovern in the primary, said: "Now I think he's (McG) more two-faced, like trying to tell people he's going to p page 10 help them get jobs. They all like to do the promises, but he's gone beyond most of them, whereas Nixon knows what we've got to do. " Hold the hands of (6.) 6 Democrat defectors by telling audiences that what we have done in foreign policy is the same thing JFK et al. would have done. (7.) Emphasize domestic stability and the sense of pride and respect America now has for itself. McGoo is on the wrong side of the issue if he continues to think Americans hate themselves. 8. When emphasizing the interaatfonal turnaround -- cite things like: who would think that not only America, but Japan would be talking to China; East Germany with West Germany; North Korea with outh Korea. The great sense of quietude and stability is like calamine lotion on chickenpox. Who was ever ashamed of serenity and goodwill? 9. Do not underestimate how McGovern so effectively uses attacks on himself. It's not for nothing he gets elected in South Dakota. Here is what one of his close friends says: "There's nothing George likes better than to have them attack him as disloyal. Then he can get out his American Legion cap and dust off his Distinguished Flying Cross and really take them on 11 George has already done this, and you can be sure he's lusting for RN to even hint at his loyalty. This is why I believe LRN must leave the attack to others. page 11 (10.) For Gods sake, let the word go out to all staff that the smallest mistake of judgement could foul everything. innocuous In 1968 played the mutual fund letter to a fair-thee- well. Let's not get nervous about things. Our opponents will desperately search for anything by which they can pin all the cliched labels on us --- for once, let's protect RN from his friends. Let's also maintain our cool about McGovern's crowds. Goldwater had much better crowds than LBJ, and in 1960, JFK was mobbed in QNI Ohio and RN was mobbed in Atlanta -- neither carried the state in which he was mobbed. Crowds are not determinative of momentum.

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This file contains: From Khachigian to Shumway RE: attachment being used in the media. 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/12/1972 Statement for Senator Goldwater on Cora Weiss and her ilk. 8 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Report], 10/7/1972 From Khachigian to Haldeman RE: Presidential Campaigning. 17 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/4/1972

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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\n47\n43\n10/12/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Khachigian to Shumway RE:\nattachment being used in the media. 3 pgs.\n47\n43\n10/7/1972\nCampaign\nReport\nStatement for Senator Goldwater on Cora\nWeiss and her ilk. 8 pgs.\n47\n43\n10/4/1972\nCampaign\nMemo\nFrom Khachigian to Haldeman RE:\nPresidential Campaigning. 17 pgs.\nThursday, April 23, 2015\nPage 1 of 1\nDOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]\nDOCUMENT\nDOCUMENT\nNUMBER\nTYPE\nSUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS\nDATE\nRESTRICTION\nN-1\nMemo\nKhachigian to themoway ,re:\n10/12/72\n[Doc 19]\nc(mix)\nattached on darge r national antham,\nwith annolated copy Y dropt\nCopy\nN- 2\nSpeech\nStatement for Senator Goldwater\n10/7/72\non Cara curise and her Ill, with\ne c mited\n[Doc 20]\nattached draft copy\n,U-3\nmemo\nKachijian & Haldenan, ne:\nBresidential Campa-gning,\n10/4/72\n[Doc 21]\n(AMIX)\nwith attached draft copy\nFILE GROUP TITLE\nBOX NUMBER\n7\nFOLDER TITLE\nOctober I 1972] (20/23\nRESTRICTION CODES\nA. Release would violate a Federal statute or Agency Policy.\nE. Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or\nB. National security classified information.\nfinancial information.\nC. Pending or approved claim that release would violate an individual's\nF. Release would disclose investigatory information compiled for law\nrights.\nenforcement purposes.\nD. Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy\nG. Withdrawn and return private and personal material.\nor a libel of a living person.\nH. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.\nNATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION\nNA FORM 1421 (4-85)\nPresidential Materials Review Board\nReview on Contested Documents\nCollection: Kenneth L. Khachigian\nBox Number:\n7\nFolder:\nOctober [1972] [2 of 2]\nDocument\nDisposition\n19\nReturn Private/Political\n20\nReturn Private/Political\n21\nReturn Private/Political\nOctober 12, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nVAN SHUMWAY\nFROM:\nKEN KHACHIGIAN\nDo you think you can milk the attached for a few columns?\nThey would also be good material for \"Washington Wire\" type\ncolumns.\nMaxine Cheshire might even want to run the one on Sarge\nand the National Anthem.\nAttachments\nPlain paper\n10/12/72\nMEMO TO VAN SHUMWAY\na\nFROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN\nDo you think you can milk the attached for a few\ncolumns? They would also be good material for \"Wabhington\nWire\" ** type columins.\nMaxine Chesaire might even want to run the one on\nSarge and the National Anthem.\nOctober 12, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nVAN SHUMWAY\nFROM:\nKEN KHACHIGIAN the\nDo you think you can milk the attached for a few columns?\nThey would also be good material for \"Washington Wire\" type\ncolumns.\nMaxine Cheshire might even want to run the one on Sarge\nand the National Anthem.\nAttachments\nKen -\n2 sant then (The out on e on to\nReg Louth marphy and to Bob the\nthe allen ( the one on\nNatural anther\nVa\nOctober 7, 1972\nSTATEMENT FOR SENATOR GOLDWATER ON CORA WEISS\nAND HER ILK\nSenator McGovern has managed to surround himself with\na menagerie which we probably won't ever see matched again in\nany campaign. He's got Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman endorsing him\nand Ramsey Clark traveling to Hanoi for him. But the ones I find most\ndespicable are those who trampled the flag of the United States when\nthey propagandized the release of three POWs.\nCora Weiss and David Dellinger -- the Hanoi Odd Couple -- took\noff for Hanoi and played the enemy's game by letting it pluck the\npropaganda strings of the POW release. What a sight to see American\nservicemen being used by the American surrender movement to spread\nhate for America and its role in Southeast Asia. I'm glad that we got\nour boys back, but I am outraged at the way their lives were used by\nanti-war-person Weiss and the pre-eminent pacifist, David Dellinger.\nCora Weiss is today the most frustrated person in the world. You\nwill recall that when the POWs were returned to American soil she\nscreamed to American newsmen: \"We have just witnessed a recapture\nscene, one incarceration replacing another. 11 My only regret is that\nCora didn't stay behind in Hanoi in trade for the POWs. What really\nfrustrates Ms. Weiss is that Major Edward Elias would not spout anti- -\nwar sentiments for benefit of the television cameras. She moaned that\nPage 2\nElias had indicated anti-war sentiments in Hanoi but deceived her\nby not doing so in America. What Ms. Weiss overlooked was that\nMajor Elias was engaging in the time-honored tradition of not tearing\none's country down.\nWhere does George McGovern fit into all this? It is a matter\nof public record that Cora Weiss is a member of the Citizens\nCommittee of New Yorkers for McGovern, along with former Mayor\nRobert Wagner and other luminaries. The logical next step is that\nCora Weiss visited Hanoi as Mr. McGovern's agent in the POW release\nand acted as his P.R. representative to see that McGovern could\nsqueeze a few pounds of publicity out of this spectacle. The fact that\nGeorge McGovern rushed out press releases attacking the Defense\nDepartment during this period indicates that the Weiss-Dellinger\noperation was tightly orchestrated out of the McGovern headquarters.\nDavid Dellinger must also be a prize catch for Senator McGovern.\nDellinger is one of the famous Chicago Seven indicted for disrupting the\n1968 Democratic Convention. What is rarely publicized about Mr.\nDellinger is that he served a prison sentence during World War II for\nrefusing to serve in the armed forces. It comes as no surprise that\none who is unwilling to fight the Nazis is no less unwilling to do anything\nto hurt the Communist North Vietnamese.\nPage 3\nAbout all one can say is that George McGovern deserves the\nHanoi Odd Couple. I only hope that George regains his senses\nsomeday and repudiates these nuts and kooks who play footsy with\nhim. He is going to learn his lesson the hard way on the morning of\nNovember 8th.\nDobert\n9/20/12\nFDR Jr. on committee\nfor McGovern in N.Y.\nNEW YORK - (AP) - support the presidential bid of\nFranklin D. Roosevelt Jr. yes-\nSenator George S. McGoven\nterday was listed as a\nwere released by former\nMayor Robert F. Wagner,\nmember of the Citizens Com-\nstate campaign chairman for\nmittee of New Yorkers for\nthe South Dakota Democrat.\nMcGovern.\nOthers on the committee\nThree other some of former\ninclude Mayor John V.\nPresident Franklin Roosevelt\n- James, John and Elliott -\nLindsay, State Comptroller\nhave endorsedPresident\nArthur Levitt, Buffalo Mayor\nNixon.\nFrank Sedita, former U.S.\nThe names of about 200\nAttorney Ramsey Clark and\nmembers of the committee to\nanti-war activist Cora Welss.\n10/7/72 -draft\nKhachigiain\nSTATEMENT FOR SENATOR GOLDWATER\nON CORA WEISS AND HER ILK\nSenator McGovern has managed to surround himself with\na\nmenagerie\nwhich we probably won't ever see\nmatched\ncampaign:\nHe's got Jerry\nRubin and\nAbby Hoffman endor ing him and Ramsey Clark\ntraveling to Hanoi for him. But\nthe\nones I find\nmost despicable are those who\ntrampled the\nflag\nof the United States when they propagandized the release\nof three\nPOWs.\nCora Weiss and David Dellinger\n--\nthe Hanoi Odd Couple --\ntook\noff for Hanoi and played the enemy's game by letting\nit\nthe propaganda strings of the\nPOW release. What\na sight to see American servicemen being used by the American\nsurrender\nmovement to spread hate for America and its\nrole in Southeast Asia. I'm\nglad that we got our\nboys back, but I am outraged at the way their lives were\nused by\nanti-war-person\nWeiss and the pre-eminent\npacifist, David Dellinger.\nCora Weiss is today the most frustrated person in\nthe world. You will recall that\nwhen the POWs\nwere\nreturned to American soil she screamed to A erican newsmen:\nWe have just witnessed a recapture scene, one incarceration\nreplacing another \" My only regret is that Cora didn't stay\nbehind in Hanoi\ntrade for the POWs.\nWhat\nreally frustrates\nMs. Weiss is that\npage 2\nMajor Edward Elias would\nnot\nspout anti-war sentiements\nfor be nefit of the television camersa.\nShe moaned that\nElias had indicated anti-war sentiments in Hanoi but deceived\nher\nby not doing so in America. What Ms. Weiss overlooked\nthat Major Elias was engaging\nin the time-honored tradition\nof not tearing\none's country down.\nWhere does George McGovern fit into all\nthis\n?\nIt\nis a\nmatter of public record that Cora Weiss is a member\nof the Citizens Committee of New Yorkers for McGovern, along\nwith former Mayor\nRobert Wagner and other luminaries.\nThe\nlogical\nnext\nis\nCora Weiss\nvisited Hanoi as Mr. McGovern's agent in the POW release\nand acted as his P.R. representative to see that McGovern\ncould squeeze\na few pounds of publicity out this\nspectacle\nThe fact that Senator McGovern\nrushed out press releases\nattacking the\nthis\nseriod\nDefense Department indicates that the Weiss-Dellinger\noperation\nwas tightly orchestrated out of the McGovern\nheadquarters.\nDavid Dellinger must\nalso be a prize\ncatch\nfor Senator McGovern. Dellinger is one of the\nfamous\nChicago Seven\nindicted for disrupting the 1968 Demo-\ncratic Convention. What is rarely publicized about Mr. Dellinge\npage 3\nis that he served a prison sentence during World War II for\nrefusing to serve in the armed forces. It comes as\nno surprise that one who is unwilling to fight the Nazis\nis no less unwilling to do\nanything to hurt the Communist\nNorth Vietnamese.\nAbout all one can say is that George McGovern deserves\nthe Nanoi Odd Couple.\nI\nonly\nhope that George\nregains\nhis senses someday and repudiates these nuts\nand kooks\nplay footsy with him. He is going to\nlearn his lesson the hard way on the morning of November 8th.\nP.\n(beteer make a few extra)\nMake me a copy/of attached X for McGovern rhetoric\nfile. Then take the original and send it Dick Howard\nalong with his memo to me -- I don't need to keep a\ncopy of his memo.\nk\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nOctober 4, 1972\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nMR. HALDEMAN\nKEN KHACHIGIAN Der\nFROM:\nSUBJECT:\nPRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNING\nFrom the vantage point of having tracked the opposition activities\nmore closely than most observers, I am submitting these thoughts\nas to what's ahead for us when the President takes to the hustings.\nI am convinced that the extent of the victory on November 7 --\nor even whether that victory will be of historic landslide proportions - -\nwill be determined almost solely by the Presidential tone in the last\nthree weeks of the campaign. If the returns coming in from the\nNew York/California swing mean anything, it is that the anti-McGovern\nline, coming from the President, may be counterproductive.\nWe all know that there exists in the media a great deal more\ntolerance for the rhetorical excesses coming out of the Democrats.\nThere is nothing approaching a groundswell of editorial comment and\nsubtle television reportage which attaches the labels \"divisive\" or\n\"polarizing\" on the opposition ticket. It comes out more like \"hard-\nhitting\" and \"spirited.\"\nI regret to say that we must live with this double standard for the\nremainder of the campaign. I do not think there is anything we can\ndo to prevent it. The question is how to deal with it in terms of\nPresidential tone.\nThe wonder of television is that it can belie any editorial comment\nor criticism. For example, if, on the tube, the President is lofty,\nspirited, and uplifting, it is difficult for the commentators to make\nthe public think differently. If Dan Rather says RN was \"harsh\" or\n\"strident\" and the television image is objectively not harsh, then\nRather has been effectively rebutted. The voters are not damn fools\nin this respect.\nPage 2\nWhat will hurt is when the President takes to the attack -- say,\nper the Cassie Mackin report of last week -- and gets a label hung\naround him by the Rathers and Jarriels. If the image confirms the\ncommentary, I fear we lose points.\nConsequently, if the label is effectively pinned on RN that he is\ndivisive and polarizing, we will have handed George McGovern one\nof his most potent campaign issues. I believe this will be as central\nan issue as anything else in the campaign. The fact that McGovern has\npicked up his personal attacks more decisively this week is proof positive\nthat the Democrats think they have the right combination.\nThe one thing that we cannot afford to do in the last three weeks of\nthe campaign is to allow McGovern to make RN the campaign issue.\nHe is desperately trying to do this and will probe for an opening. One\nof the basic components of the landslide margin in the current polls\nis, of course, the overwhelming support from Democrats. About a\nthird of this is \"soft\" support, and many of these Democrats will be\nsearching for a reason not to vote for RN. McGovern will try to\ngive them as many reasons as possible -- the basic one which will be\n\"you cannot trust him; he is tricky, political, \" etc. Let's not give\nthem the opening.\nIt is interesting that we have come full circle from the time of the\nprimaries. McGovern was the white Knight, anti-politician. RN was\nthe quintessential politician. Now, according to all polls, McGovern\nskidded because he turns out to be just another politician while RN is\nperceived as statesmanlike and Presidential -- a man you could trust.\nBut it is important to remember that if the public was volatile enough\nto switch quickly from McGovern to RN on the \"politician\" issue, it\ncan just as quickly switch back in a pendulum swing.\nThat will be McGovern's secret weapon -- try to rehabilitate him-\nself as an anti-politician (he began that Monday) and when RN comes out\non the stump, put the politician label on him as rapidly as possible.\nWith the media's help, that could be done in a matter of days.\nWe are not inevitably locked into this scenario. Again, it is my\nopinion that the public will not buy the politician label for RN if, in\nfact, there is little in his image and tone which projects \"politics.\"\nWe can frustrate the media on this account. And let us remember,\ntoo, that once RN is out campaigning, the press may complain about\nhis lack of discussion of the issues, but that charge is one which won't\nmake a damn bit of difference. If RN is talking about what we perceive\nto be important to the voting public, then we should not be bound by what\nthe gurus of the press think should be said.\nPage 3\nThis brings me to the more crucial part of the analysis. If\nthere are certain things the President should not do, what, in fact,\nshould be the tone and content of his campaign effort?\nFirst, I don't believe that the President should move out any of\nthe attack material, and if so, only by strong, positive RN counter-\npositions. If we are doing our job right on the staff level, we can\nget the attack stuff out. So far, I think, without a doubt, we have\nsucceeded in hanging some uncomfortable labels on McGovern. His\nefforts to wiggle off the fishhook are proof that we have hit a nerve.\nMoreover, the polls confirm that McGovern is tarred with the radical\nlabel. The job from the Vice-Presidential level on down is to keep\nthat record of radicalism out front. I don't doubt our ability to do that.\nBut the Presidential level should be altogether different. I\nfrankly think the President need not even concern himself with pointing\nout the radicalsim in the opposition camp. I say this, not because I\nthink it is unfair for a President to do this, but because RN gets unfair\ntreatment when he does it. If RN did so, the focus then comes back to\nRN's tactics\" rather than to the record we want to surface to the public.\nInstead, there are a number of things the President can do as he\ncampaigns to keep Republican spirits high, prevent too much Democra-\ntic party slippage, and, in general, go into election eve with the\nfeeling that a posture has been presented to the American public which\nmaintains its confidence in the stewardship of RN.\n(1) In my judgment, one of the central issues of this campaign is\nthe \"good\" America of RN versus the \"corrupt\" America of McGovern.\nI think McGovern has been absolutely stupid in the way he has been seen\nto side with those who tear America down. The best way to exploit\nthis is from the positive side of RN's belief in a good country. I know\nthis has been a thematic favorite of the President's, but I think it needs\nto be developed as a more comprehensive slice of the pie we are\npresenting this year.\nYou saw the Yankelovich results in TIME which said that McGovern's\nbiggest miscalculation was on the depth of bitterness and dissatisfaction\namong the voters. And 75% of those sampled said that they were sick\nand tired of hearing people attack American values. I don't mean here\nsimply a few paragraphs on America being a good country, but a full\nspeech should be developed on this subject, and I would think that it be\none of the first delivered.\nPage 4\nThe best contrast of the campaign will be the bitchy George\nMcGovern with his whining, whimpering, crybaby attitude matched\nagainst the strong confidence of RN. The people of America are not\nbasically mean-minded and sour, but are, instead, people who respond\nto lift and optimism. McGovern erred in trying to harvest the bitter\nfruit when in fact there is, as the polls universally show, an almost\nscrene satisfaction with the way things are. The desire is for change,\nsure, but, damn-it-all, change which plays on the goodness of America,\nnot that which craps all over its institutions.\n(2) The President should develop, or ask to have developed for\nhim, some basic lines which respond with calculated indignation to some\nof the pure bull that McGovern is throwing around. This is a chance\nfor RN to take the extremely important underdog role -- an effective\nrole I believe. I am referring to such things as the Hitler quotes, the\n\"barbarism\" in Vietnam, the charge that he's lied about POWs, etc.\nA healthy dose of modulated anger would be good for the electorate\nand good for RN. For example, he might say: \"My friends, I have\nserved as your President for nearly four years, and I am not about to\nsit back and be compared to Adolph Hitler. It is a tribute to free speech\nthat candidates can make such charges, but it is not a tribute to the\npolitical process to have the world watch the President of the United\nStates equated with the most hated dictator of our time. 11 A number of\nlines roughly like that would be effective, I believe.\nNote: if any more anti-war hecklers become a visible problem\nand can be seen and heard on television, the President might effectively\nsay: \"I think the American people are tired of being called murderous\nand war-mongers. You have the right to question our policy, but don't\nyou for one minute try to impugn the motives or the morality of the\ncitizens of our country. \" Here, RN defends the public.\n(3) One effective point is to rebut the moralism of George McGovern.\nThis should be done by pointing out that no one has a monopoly on\nmorality, and that it doesn't help the political process for the opposition\ncandidate to suggest that only what he thinks is right and what everybody\nelse thinks is wrong. RN might say that he may not agree with some-\none, but that he doesn't try to act morally superior or hide behind a\nshield of rectitude.\nPage 5\nThis point has turned up in a number of columns -- namely,\nreporters confessing chagrin at McGovern's pious morality. RN\nneeds to make the point as well.\n(4) It may sound incongruous, but I believe that RN must address\nan all-black audience during the campaign. Charles Bartlett had an\nexcellent column pointing out that McGovern has taken the blacks for\ngranted in a subtle attempt to get white working class Democrats\nback into the fold. RN addressing a black audience will have several\neffects. It will get excellent play and emphasize he is the President\nof all the people. If tuned to the black middle class -- rather than the\n\"We Shall Overcome\" overblown rhetoric of LBJ -- it can get votes,\nespecially if RN goes right to the heart of the matter of those who\ndenigrate blacks by lumping them together as all poor, ignorant, etc.\nIt would also probably send McGovern scurrying to patch up things with\nthe blacks and cause him, perhaps, to overreact and line himself up\nwith a political posture which won't help him. Finally, it would\nexploit the frustration in the bl ack leadership at being taken for\ngranted by the Democrats and promote the emphasis that RN has done\nmore for minority advancement than any other President.\n(5) One of the things that keeps turning up in voter surveys in terms\nof dissatisfaction with McGovern is the fact that he is changing his tune\non everything and promising something for everybody. It looks like --\nand is -- crass expediency. It also confirms that McGovern is not anti-\npolitician, but pure politician RN can advance his cause by making a\nvirtue of the fact that promises have not been wildly bandied about in\nhis administration, and the reason for the turbulent 60's (a subtle\nreminder of what we had in those years) was the overblown rhetoric\nwhich could not be delivered in programs. This will posture RN as\nthe one who is not the expedient politician who promises all things to\nall men. \"We did not make promises we could not keep. \" In the\nHaynes Johnson survey, here is what an ethnic Democrat, who retired\nearly because he was unemployed, and voted for McGovern in the primary,\nsaid: \"Now I think he's (McG) more two-faced, like trying to tell people\nhe's going to help them get jobs. They all like to do the promises, but\nhe's gone beyond most of them, whereas Nixon knows what we've got\nto do. \"\n(6) Hold the hands of Democrat defectors by telling audiences that\nwhat we have done in foreign policy is the same thing JFK et al. would\nhave done.\nPage 6\n(7) Emphasize domestic stability and the sense of pride and\nrespect America now has for itself. McGoo is on the wrong side\nof the issue if he continues to think Americans hate themselves.\n(8) When emphasizing the international turnaround -- cite things\nlike: who would think that not only America, but Japan would be\ntalking to China; East Germany with West Germany; North Korea with\nSouth Korea. The great sense of quietude and stability is like calamine\nlotion on chickenpox. Who was ever ashamed of serenity and goodwill?\n(9) Do not underestimate how McGovern so effectively uses\nattacks on himself. It's not for nothing he gets elected in South\nDakota. Here is what one of his close friends says: \"There's\nnothing George likes better than to have them attack him as disloyal.\nThen he can get out his American Legion cap and dust off his Distin-\nguished Flying Cross and really take them on.\" George has already\ndone this, and you can be sure he's lusting for RN to even hint at his\nloyalty. This is why I believe RN must leave the attack to others.\n(10) For God sake, let the word go out to all staff that the smallest\nmistake of judgment could foul everything. In 1968 the media played\nthe innocuous mutual fund letter to a fair-thee-well. Let's not get\nnervous about things. Our opponents will desperately search for\nanything by which they can pin all the cliched labels on us -- for\nonce, let's protect RN from his friends. Let's also maintain our\ncool about McGovern's crowds. Goldwater had much better crowds\nthan LBJ, and in 1960, JFK was mobbed in Ohio and RN was mobbed\nin Atlanta -- neither carried the state in which he was mobbed. Crowds\nare not determinative of momentum.\n10/3/72\nMEMORANDUM FOR MR. HALDEMAN\nFROM: KEN KHACHIGIAN\nSUBEECT: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNING\nFrom the vantage point of having tracked watched the opposition\nactivies more closely than most observers, I am submitting\nthese thoughts as to what's ahead for us when the President\ntakes to the hustings.\nI am convinced that the\nextent of the victory\non November 7 -- or even whether that victory will be\nof historic landslide proportions -- will be determined\nalmost solely by the Presidential tone in the last three\nweeks of the campaign. If the returns coming in from\nthe New York/Celfi ornia swing mean anything, it is that\nthe\nout\nanti-McGovern line\ncomigg from the President, may\nbe counterproductive.\nWe all know that there exists in the media a great\ndeal more tolerance for the\nrhetormal excesses\ncoming out of the Democrat\nd\nwriters\nd/co\nthere\napproaching a\nis nothing\ngroudswell of editorial\ncomment\nand subtle television\nreportage which attaches the\nlabels \"divisive\" or\n\"polarizing\" on the opposition\nticket. It comes out more\nlike \"hard-hitting\" and\n\"spirited.\"\npage 2\nI regret to say that we must live with this double\nstandard for the remainder of the campaign. I do not think\nthere is anything we can do to prevent it. The question\nis how to deal\nwith it in terms of Presidential tone.\nThe wonder of television is that it\nbelie any\neditorial comment or criticism.\nor example, if, on the\ntube, the President is lofty,\nspirited, and uplifting,\nthe\ncommentators\nmake the\npublic think differently. If Dan Rather says\nRN was\n\"harsh\" or \"strident\" and the television image is objectively\nnot harsh, then Rather has been effectively rebutted. The\nvoters\nare not damn fools in this respect.\nWhat will hurt is when\nthe President takes to the\nattack\nsay,\nthe Cassie Mackin report of last\nweek\nand gets a\nlabel hung around him\nby the Rathers\nand Jarriels. If the image confirms the commentary, I\nfear we lose points.\ndoes\nthis\nall\n111\nitself.\nIf the label is effectively pinned on RN that he is\ndivisive and polarizing, we will have handed\nGeorge McGovern\none of his most potent\ncampaign issues. I believe this\nwill be as central an issue as anything else in the campaign.\nThe fact that McGovern has\npicked up\npersonal attack\nmore\ndecisi bely this week is proof positive that the\nDemocrats think they have the right combination\npage 3\nThe one thing that we cannot afford to do in the\nlast three weeks of the campaign is to allow\nRN\nMcGovern to make\nthe campaign issue. He\nis despecrately trying to do this and will\nprob\nfor an opening. One of the basic components of the landslide\nmargin in the current polls is, of course, the overwhelming\nsupport from Democrats\nis\n\"soft\"\nsupport, and many of these Democfats will be searching\nfor a reason not to vote for RN.\nMcGovern will\ntry to\ngive them as many\nreasons as possible --\nthe basic one which will be\n\"you cannot trust him;\n\"\nhe is tricky political\netc.\nLets not give them the opening.\nIt is interesting that we have come full circle from\nthe time of the primaries. McGovern was the white Knight,\nanti-politician. RN was the\nquintessential\npolitician. Now, according to all polls, McGovern skidded\nbecause he turn\nout to be just another politidian while\nRN\nperceived as statesmanlike and presidential --\na\nman you could trust. But it is important to remember that\nif the\npublic was volatile enough to\nswtich quickly from McGovern to RN on the\n\"politician\"\nissue, it can just as quickly switch back in a pendulum\nswing.\nThat will be McGovern's secret weapon -- try to rehabili-\ntate himself\nas an anti-politicaan (he began that\n)\npage 4\nand\nwhen RN comes out on the stump, put the politician\nlabel on him as\nrapidly as possible. With the media's\nhelp, that could be done in a matter of days\nWe are not inev tably locked into this scenario.\nAgain, it is my opinion that the public will not buy the\npolitician label for RN if in fact there is\nlittle in\nhis image and tone which project S \"politics \" We can frustrate\nthe media on this\naccount. And let us remember, too,\nthat once RN is out\ncampaigning, the press may complain\nabout his lack of discussion of the issues,\nbut that charge\nis one which won't make a\ndamn bit of difference\nIf RN is ta lking about what we perceive\nto be important to the voting public, then we should not\nbe bound by what the gurus of the press\nthink should\nbe said.\nThis brings me to the more crucial\npart of the\nanalysis. If there re certain things the President should\nnot do, what, in fact, should be the tone and coneent\nof\nhis campaign effort?\nFirst, I don't believe that the President should move\nout\nany of the attack material, and if so, only\nby strong RN counter-positions If\nwe are\ndoing our job right on the staff level, we can\nget the attack stuff out.\nso fari I think, without a\npage 5\ndoubt, we have succeeded in hanging some uncomfor able labels\non McGovern. His\nefforts to wiggle off the fishhook\nare\nproof\nthat we have hit\nMoreover,\nthe polls confirm that McGoveen is tarred with the radical\nlabel. The job from the Vice-Presidential level on down\nis to keep that record of radicalism out front. I don't\ndoubt our ability to do that.\nBut the Presidential level hould be altbgether different.\nI frankly think the President need not even concern himself\nwith pointing out the radicalism in the opposition camp.\nI say this, not because I think it is unfair for a President\nto do\nthis, but because RN gets unfair treatment when\nhe does it.\nthe focus then comes back to RN's \"tectics\"\nrather than\nthe record\nwe want to surface to the public.\nInstead\nthere are a number of things the President can\ndo as he campaigns to\nkeep Republican\nspirits high, prevent too much Democratic party slippage,\nand, in general, go into election eve with the feeling\nthat a posture has been presented to the American public\nwhich maintains its confidence in the stewardship of\nRN.\n1\nhe\none\nof the centra 1 issues\nof\nthis campaign is the\n\"good\" America of RN versus\nthe \"corrupt\" America of McGoverm. I think McGovern has been\nabosolutely stupid in the way he has been seen to side with\npage 6\nthose who\ntear America down. The best weay to exploit\nRN\nthis is from the positive\naí\nside of\nbelief in a good\ncountry. I know\nthis has been a thematic favorite\nof the President's, but I think it needs to be developed\namprehensiv.\nas a\nslice of the pie we are presenting this year.\nYou\nsaw the\nYanke lovich reautts\nX\nTIME which\nsaid that McGovern's biggest misaalcu lation was the depth\nAnd\nof bitterness and dissatisfaction among the voters.\n75%\nof those sampled said that they were sick and tired of hearing\npeople attack American values. I don't\nmean here simply\na few paragraphs on America\nbeing a\ngood country\nfull speech should be developed on this subject, and\nI\nwould\nthink that it be one of the\nfirst delivered.\nThe best contra\nof the campaign will be the bitchy\nGeorge McGovern\nwith his whining, whimpering,\ncrybaby\nattidude matched against the strong\nconfidence of RN.\nThe people of America are not basically mean\nminded and\nsour, but are, instead, people who respond to lift and optimism.\nMcGovern erred in trying to harvest the bitter fruit when\nin fact there is, as the polls universally show, an almost\nserene satisfaction with the way things are. The desire is\nfor\nchange,\nsure, but, damn-it-all, change which\nplays on the\ngoodness of America, not that which craps\nall over its institu\nns.\npage\nX\n7\nL2.)\nThe\nPresident should\ndevelop, or ask\nto have aveloped for him, some basic lines which\nrespond\nwith calculated indignation to some of the pure bull that\nMcGovern is throwing around. This is a chance for RN to\ntake the extremely important\nundergog role -- an effective\nrole I believe. I am referring to such things as the Hitler\nquotes, the barbarism in Vietnam, the charge that he's lied\nabout POWs, etc.\nA healthy dose of\nmodulated anger would\nbe good for the electorate and good for RN.\nor example,\nhe might say:\n\"My friends, I have served as your President\nfor nearly four years, and I am not about to sit back and\nbe compared to Adolph Hitler.\nIt\nis a tribute to free speech\nthat candidates can make such charges, but it is not a\ntribute to the political process to have the world watch\nthe President of the United States\nequated with the most\nhated dicaator of our time. \" A number of lines roughly like\nthat would be effective, I believe.\nNote: if any more anti-war hecklers become a visible\nproblem and can be seen and heard on television, the President\nmight effectively say: \"I think the American people are tired\nof being called murderens and warmongers.\nYou have the\nright to question our policy, but don't you for one minute\ntry to\nimpugn the motives or the morality of the citizens\nof our country. =\nHere, RN defends public.\npage 8\n(3.)\nOne effective point is to rebut the moralism of\nGeorge McGovern. This should be done by\npointing out\nthat no one has a monopoly on morality,\nand that\nit doesn't help the political process for the opposition\ncandidate to suggest tha\nwhat he things\nis right and what everybody else thinks is wrong. RN might\nsay that he may not agree with someone, but that he doesn't\ntry to act morally superior or hide behind\na shield of\nrectitude.\nThis\npoint has turned up in a number of columns --\nnamely,\nreportess confessing chagrin at McGovern's\npious morality. RN needs to make the point as well.\n(4.)\n4\nIt may sound incongruous, but I believe that RN\nmust address\nan all-black audience during\nthe campaign. Charles Bartlett had an\nexcellent column\npointing out that McGovern has taken the blacks for granted\nin a subtle attempt to get whiee working classe\nDemocrats\nback into the fold. RN addressing a black audiencw will have\nseveral\naffects. It will get excellent play and emphasize\nhe is the Preisdent of all the people. If tuned to the black\nmiddle class rather than the \"We Shall Overcome\" overblown\nrheotoric of\nLBJ -- it can get votes, especially if RN\ngoes right to the heart of the matter of those who denigrate\nblacks by lumping them together as all poor, ignorant, etc.\npage 9\nIt would also probably send McGovern scurrying to patch up\nthings with the blacks and cause him, perhaps, to overreact\na nd line himself up with a political posture which won't help\nhim. Finally,\nit would\nexploit the frustration in\nthe black leadership at being taken for granted by the Democrats\nand promote the emphasis that RN has done more for\nminority\nthan any other\nPresident.\n(5.)\nOne of the things that keeps turning up in voter\nsurveys in terms of dissasisfaction with McGovern is the\nfact that he is changing his tune on everything and promising\nsomething for everybody. It looks like -- and is -- crass\nexpediency. It also confirms that McGovern is not anti-\npolificaan, but pure\npolitiican. RN can advance his\ncause by\nmaking a virute of the fact that\npromises have not been wildly bandied about in\nhis\nadministration, and the reason for the turbulent 60's (a\nsubtle reminder of what we hand in those years) was the\noverblown rhetoric which could not be delivered in programs.\nThis will posture RN as the one who is not the expedient\npolitician who promises all things to all men. \"We did\nnot make promises we\ncould not keep. = In\nthe\nHaynes Johnson survey, here is what\nan athnic Democrat, who\nretired\nearly because he was unemployed, and voted for\nMcGovern in the primary, said: \"Now I think he's (McG)\nmore two-faced, like trying to tell people he's going to\np\npage 10\nhelp them get jobs. They all like to do the promises, but he's\ngone\nbeyond most of them, whereas Nixon knows what we've\ngot to do. \"\nHold the hands of\n(6.)\n6\nDemocrat defectors by telling audiences that\nwhat we have done in foreign policy is the same thing\nJFK\net al. would have done.\n(7.)\nEmphasize domestic stability and the sense of pride\nand respect America now has for itself. McGoo is on the\nwrong side of the issue\nif he continues to think Americans\nhate themselves.\n8.\nWhen emphasizing the interaatfonal turnaround -- cite\nthings like: who would think that not only America, but\nJapan\nwould be talking to China; East Germany with West Germany;\nNorth Korea with outh Korea. The great sense of quietude and\nstability is like calamine lotion on chickenpox. Who was\never\nashamed of\nserenity and goodwill?\n9.\nDo\nnot underestimate how McGovern so\neffectively\nuses attacks on himself. It's not for nothing he gets elected\nin South Dakota. Here is what one of his close friends says:\n\"There's nothing George likes better than to have them attack\nhim as disloyal. Then he can get out his American Legion\ncap and dust off his Distinguished Flying Cross and really\ntake them on 11 George\nhas already done this, and you can\nbe sure he's lusting for RN to even hint at his\nloyalty.\nThis is why I believe LRN must leave the attack to others.\npage 11\n(10.)\nFor Gods sake, let the word go out to all\nstaff\nthat the smallest mistake of judgement could foul everything.\ninnocuous\nIn 1968\nplayed the mutual fund letter to a\nfair-thee-\nwell. Let's not get nervous about things. Our opponents\nwill desperately\nsearch for anything by which they\ncan pin all the cliched labels on us --- for once, let's protect\nRN from his friends. Let's also maintain our cool about\nMcGovern's crowds. Goldwater had much better crowds than\nLBJ, and in 1960, JFK was mobbed in QNI Ohio and RN was\nmobbed in Atlanta -- neither carried the state\nin which he was mobbed. Crowds are not determinative of\nmomentum."
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