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This file contains:
From Buchanan to the President RE: Potential political problems "which could casue rapid dissipation of the present lead." 3 pgs [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/9/1972
From Khachigian to Colson RE: Shriver's Confederate ancestors. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/31/1972
From Buchanan to Haldeman and Colson RE: Monday Morning 9:15 am Meeting. 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/14/1972
From Buchanan to the President (per HRH as requested) RE: Poll Briefing. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/6/1972
From Buchanan to Colson (per Dick Howard) RE: "The following are lines we can and should use in my view in the immediate wake of the Veep choice." 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/7/1972
From Buchanan to Haldeman RE: the letters operation, 1701, used to move the "negative" on McGovern. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/26/1972
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WHSF: Contested, 48-7
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This file contains:
From Buchanan to the President RE: Potential political problems "which could casue rapid dissipation of the present lead." 3 pgs [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 10/9/1972
From Khachigian to Colson RE: Shriver's Confederate ancestors. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/31/1972
From Buchanan to Haldeman and Colson RE: Monday Morning 9:15 am Meeting. 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/14/1972
From Buchanan to the President (per HRH as requested) RE: Poll Briefing. 2 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/6/1972
From Buchanan to Colson (per Dick Howard) RE: "The following are lines we can and should use in my view in the immediate wake of the Veep choice." 3 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 8/7/1972
From Buchanan to Haldeman RE: the letters operation, 1701, used to move the "negative" on McGovern. 1 pg. [Subject: Campaign] [Memo], 7/26/1972
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Richard M. Nixon's Returned Materials Collection
Contested Materials Files
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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
48
7
10/9/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan to the President RE:
Potential political problems "which could
casue rapid dissipation of the present lead." 3
pgs
48
7
8/31/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Khachigian to Colson RE: Shriver's
Confederate ancestors. 1 pg.
48
7
8/14/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan to Haldeman and Colson
RE: Monday Morning 9:15 am Meeting. 3
pgs.
48
7
8/6/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan to the President (per HRH as
requested) RE: Poll Briefing. 2 pgs.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Page 1 of 2
Box Number
Folder Number
Document Date
No Date
Subject
Document Type
Document Description
48
7
8/7/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan to Colson (per Dick
Howard) RE: "The following are lines we
can and should use in my view in the
immediate wake of the Veep choice." 3 pgs.
48
7
7/26/1972
Campaign
Memo
From Buchanan to Haldeman RE: the letters
operation, 1701, used to move the "negative"
on McGovern. 1 pg.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Page 2 of 2
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 9, 1972
POLITICAL MEMORANDUM
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
PATRICK J. BUCHANAN
With four weeks to go the political situation seems to have stabilized.
With McGovern not moving as dramatically as necessary; indeed hardly
moving at all, according to Harris.
The following are what I see as potential problem areas for us politically,
which could cause a rapid dissipation of the present lead.
1)
Sam Ervin & the Watergate. Should a Congressional hearing be
called the focus of the campaign could be turned off of the "negatives" of
McGovern onto our "negatives. " Given the present disposition of the
national media the major domos are disappointed in the lack of a contest
and enraged and frustrated by RN's above-the-battle tactics -- the hearings
would be the most celebrated since Army-McCarthy.
2)
The McGovern anti-Nixon Commercials. McGovern's people
seem finallyto have come to the conclusion that their best hope lies not so
much in resurrecting their candidate's image they don't have the time
but in tearing down our man. My guess is that they will be extremely rough,
and if they are not overdone, fairly effective.
My personal view is that we ought to, now, go on a crash program for some
more anti-McGovern commericals to keep in stock.
Beyond that, the latest poll is certain to put pressure on McGovern; and
given the fact that his three most sensitive points seem to be Vietnam,
(he is proud of his "consistency) Eagleton and "credibility, 11 maybe we ought
to begin moving, with some of our surrogates, in a more direct way.
If we can get him talking and arguing about these we do well. Frankly,
I would like to see the entire Eagleton business, which is such a loser for
McGovern, re-elevated by some of our people.
-2-
Back to the commercials momentarily - - HHH's anti-Nixon commercials
were brutal in my judgment, but effective and we should expect that
McGovern's will go after the "scandal", "corrupt" issues and if they
are smart they will not use their principal, McGovern, as they have
mistakenly in the past, to act as the Prosecutor.
3)
A sharp McGovern movement upward in the polls could conceivably
cause a reverse leverage on the "analyses" and "polls" and "local statements"
which are right now SO damaging to him. Every time a newspaper or survey
goes out they come in with startling negative returns for McGovern. And
every time a local pol speaks off the record it seems, he raps George.
This has to hurt in community after community if McGovern starts up,
however, this will reverse and one will find poll after poll saying "McGovern
closing the gap. 11 While the possibility recedes with each week, the
possibility remains of the "comeback" theme catching with the press and
public.
4)
The apathetic electorate and the low turnout. Though the liberal
press has egg on its face now, for its earlier discussion of aroused and
alienated electorate looking for McGovern's kind of politics, there seems to
be some truth in the possibility of a low turnout, over-confident Republicans,
and a McGovern-hard-core maximizing his vote, while we minimize ours.
We ought to be giving this problem serious consideration although I do
not believe it at all calls for RN to hit the stump at this point in time.
5)
The media hostility. One has to have seen Agronsky & Co. to
visualize it. Since the Broder column there has been piece after piece,
taking up the theme that RN has "outwitted" the press, that he is using the
enormous resources of the White House to such effect that it is no contest;
that McGovern is at an unfair disadvantage; that the President is ignoring the
i ssues, playing above-the-battle, refusing to "engage" in campaign debate,
even by long distance, and -- to top it all -- appears headed for a landslide
which the press can do nothing about. If one took a poll of the press corps,
I would guess that ninety-five to one hundred percent want to see the gap
closed.
Recognizing that they are negatively disposed to our campaign at this point,
and anxious to leap on any embarrassment perhaps we should give
consideration to an offensive media strategy to feed the animals, so they
aren't chewing on us the rest of the campaign.
Dont' know what we have of substance coming down the pike but the more
of that the better. One notes that RN's Texas visit which had some substance
to it was played extremely well and the NY to LA jaunt was played equally
badly. We should be thinking of something to give these fellows to write and
talk about rather than bemoaning our "lack" of a campaign.
-3-
THOUGHTS & SUGGESTIONS:
A)
We ought to have adopted in advance a strategy for the McGovern
ads, whether to ignore them -- or attack them as "smear" -- hopefully
they will be so bad that they will indict themselves. But it would be serious
for us, I think, if McGovern's ads succeeded in moving the focus off of
McGovern's screw-ups and incompetence and his radicalism -- which should
be the last four weeks of this campaign.
B)
We should be planning now -- not locking in, however -- some
election eve, Saturday, Sunday, Monday type drills, which are certain to
C reate massive national interest and participation in the election -- by our
folks. We do need to have our troops excited more out there -- they do need
to get stirred up -- and given the Presidential podium, one can get the
national attention with relative ease.
C)
In two weeks or perhaps three, the time may be ripe to be calling - -
not for a mandate for RN but for a repudiation of McGovern by Democrats.
On thes grounds, we should move out the line that the McGovernites have
given up; they are interested only in a large vote to control the party
machinery -- and a Connally and Meany and Fitzsimmons and other Democrats
can all call for a national "repudiation of extremism" so that the Great
Democratic Party can be restored to its rightful owners, the American
people. Cast a Vote Against Extremism kind of theme something that
will convince Democrats that if McGovern even comes close their party is
gone from them forever.
D)
If we can contain McGovern for twenty more days even, or two
more weeks, assuredly there is a fail-safe point at which local Democrats
have to jump off and start pushing out their split-ticket sample ballots; with
sort of an every-man-for-himself philosophy taking over. That almost
but did not happen with Humphrey as the unions never deserted him.
But if McGovern is hanging where he was last -- two or three weeks from
now it could startwith him.
E)
The President should stay out of the attack business altogether,
as of now. This still looks good. Also, the President of all the People,
standing up for America, is something disgruntled and even anti-Nixon
Democrats can vote for -- if the rest of us can keep McGovern painted as
an incompetent and opportunistic radical who would do or say anything
to win. With McGovern's recent horrible charges he has diminished the
possibility of his becoming a sympathetic figure, a martyr, which leaves
us some room for toughening the attacks on him.
Buchanan
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 31, 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR: CHUCK COLSON
FROM:
KEN KHACHIGIAN
Have worked up a brief line on Shriver's Confederate
ancestors, and also included a note from Post story indicating
that Shriver's family were slaveholders.
Gave it to Stan Scott and he is trying to get the story fed
into certain segments of Black media and will give it to
Black surrogates.
cc: Buchanan
Stan Scott
TH WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGION
August 14, 1972
MEMORANDUM TO:
H. R. HALDEMAN
CHARLES COLSON
FROM:
PAT BUCHANAN
SUBJECT:
Monday Morning 9:15 a.m. Meeting
Have to be at the doctor's for a 9:00 a.m. appointment at Naval
Medical, but the following are followup attack recommendations
for today:
1.
Ramsey Clark, along with the Shriver charge, this is issue
number one today. Clark will have a press conference. We can
piggy-back on this for tonight's TV. Suggest Mitchell Written Statement
by PJB iterating our demand that McGovern either endorse or
repudiate Clark's performance and his "perfect" choice for the FBI.
Ignore McGovern charge of "treasonous allegations, 11 and focus on
McGovern once again evading re-endorsing a man whom he seems
ready to dump over the side. Also, Fletcher Thompson in attacking
Clark, and others should keep before the public that he is McGovern's
"perfect choice" for the FBI job. Suggest that MacGregor go on TV
this is "the" story of day, for tonight, demanding anew, along the lines
of Mitchell statement that McGovern stop evading and obfuscation and
answer to American people if this individual who last week was broadcasting
Hanoi's propaganda is still in line to head up the FBI. Also, Mitchell
statement of page and a half should contain defense of U.S. pilots
slandered by McGovern yesterday. (PJB can have this by noon, by one
Pat dishis
at latest.)
2.
On the Shriver story, that RN "blew it" we should get Lodge on
TV; we should turn the focus of this on Shriver and McGovern's
credibility; and re-issue that resignation letter from Shriver; as long
as the issue turns on whether Shriver was telling the truth or not td ling
the truth, they can't be making ground. Further, this boiling
roversy keeps the Watergate Caper off of page 1. Everything should
be done, in statements and the like to portray Shriver as a) not telling the
truth and b) keeping silent for three years, seeking a GOP job, and then
spe. '.ing out only when it was politically profitable. Shriver was a "Silent
Pariner" in the escalation in Vietnam; endorsed RN's policy, and HOW for
-2-
crass political gain is stabbing in the back a President whose policies
he endorsed wholeheartedly while in the President's employ.
3.
The White Paper of McGovern's on the environment got hardly
any serious coverage. We can and should elevate this - - with an
EPA, and/or CEQ press conference today which attacks McGovern
for "gross ignorance of the President's record, for "sloppy staff work"
for utter lack of knowledge of the toughest environmental record ever
compiled by any President. Impossible to believe Senator McGovern
could have seen or signed this idiotic paper - - then a briefing listing
of RN's environmental achievements. But the attack on McGovern's
"incredible document" should be the lead. Once again reflecting the
sloppy staff work that has plagued the McGovern campaign. Tone
incredulous that McGovern could have issued such a paper.
4.
Don't respond to the false allegation that we accused Clark
of treason this is what they would like to make the issue our
issue is that this tool of Radio Hanoi is McGovern's perfect choice for
FBI Director, and this is a travesty; and that McGovern should repudiate
Clark (even as Senator Proxmire did) and tell the American people in
no uncertain terms that he withdraws his endorsement of Clark for
FBI Chief.
5.
We might need some polling in Pa. to see the damage done on
this flood controversy.
6.
Page 30 of Saturday News Summary - - Jesse Jackson has some
negative remarks on McGovern -- we should get these out to the black
press, and have Floyd McKissick use them in attack on McGovern and
defense of his decision to go with RN.
7.
We should have Paul Keyes working up some humorous lines
of ridicule to use against McGovern; if we can get the country making
him and his campaign as ridiculous, he may never be able to regain
credibility and recover.
8.
Within the attack book there are three or four McGovern predictions
about what the NVN would do if we halted bombing, etc. All provided
wrong. We should have a foreign policy spokesman who can speak to
these points, and indict McGovern for having been wrong about every
other opportunity, wrong about Hanoi's intentions throughout his career,
and a record of misjudging the enemy, relfected anew in his endorsement
of Shriver's charge.
-3-
9.
Note page 18 of N.Y. Times, where McGovern is working
on Hill to remove equal time requirement, in which event networks
will grant free time. Can we block this?
10.
Important thing -- ride the big stories of the day -- Clark,
and Shriver credibility.
Buchanan
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 6, 1972
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT (Per HRH As Requested)
FROM:
PATRICK J. BUCHANAN
Have received the poll briefing and while the findings on the issue
are unexceptional, the conclusions that are drawn are wrong, I
think -- if I do not mistake them. Our surrogates and the Vice
President should not spend a disproportionate amount of their
time defending our record on unemployment, and economic
management. By most everyone's judgment, our record is not
considered as that good; this is our "weakest" point - and a
national debate over whether we managed the economy well is
perhaps the one debate with McGovern we can lose.
Agreed that Vietnam, inflation, etc. are the crucial issues. We
can win on these issues by not so much verbally defending our reocrd,
but by portraying McGovern as disasterous to the stock market,
disasterous to the job market with his budget cuts in defense and
space, disasterous to the security of the U.S., disasterous to the
price situation, because of his $1000 program, or his $6500 welfare
giveaway. In short, let's not so much defend our record, which is
subject to criticism, as to attack McGovern with being a clear and
present danger to the prosperity we now have.
The point is this: If the Democrats had nominated Harpo Marx, the
Teeter poll S would have said Vietnam, economy, inflation are the
major issues. Would we, in a race with Harpo, talk about those
issues -- or would the winning issues rather be the manifest lack
of qualification of their candidate -- despite our record.
The decision in November and our rhetoric must not focus upon
their issues -- i.e., "unemployment" and the unequal economic
record of the last four years -- it must focus upon our issues
i.e., the extremism, elitism, radicalism, kookism, of McGovern's
person, campaign, and programs, against the solid, strong,
effective leadership of the President. The first campaign described
above is the only way we can lose in 1972 -- and if I am not mistaken,
-2-
this is something close to what the Teeter folks recommend, when
they say we ought to talk up the economy, and spend an inordinate
amount of time defending our record on unemployment.
Nor should we forget the capacity of a candidate (i. e., Kennedy
and the "missile gap, 11 Goldwater and "extremism") to create
issues, on which elections turn, sometimes legitimate issues,
sometimes illegitimate. When we portray McGovern's ideas as
preposterous, foolish, and even dangerous to U.S. security and
the nation's economy, we are right now pushing against an open door --
with the media at large, as well as the country.
The campaign should turn, we should make it turn, upon the manifest
unqualification of this character and his ilk to even be in the
Presidential contest -- not whether a damn referendum in our spotty
economic performance, which talking, talking, talking about the
economy and jobs, and unemployment would make it. So, I disagree
strongly with what I view as the central thrust of recommendations
of the Teeter polls.
Buchanan
August 5, 1972
MEMORANDUM TO CHARLES COLSON
(Per Dick Howard)
FROM: Pat Buchanan
The follow ing are lines we can and should use in my view in
the immediate wake of the Veep choice:
If it's SHRIVER
a) No legislative Experience Whatsoever;
b) Never held elective office in his life;
c) Tenure at OEO left the Poverty Program in an utter shambles;
d) His only claim to the Vice Presidency is the fact that he
happened to marry Ted Kennedy's Big Sister.
e) Selection indicates the desperate straits into which McGovern
candidacy has fallen -- trying to cover up his shambles of a
campaign with a little Kennedy glamour once removed;
f) Running the United States in the final third of the twentieth
century is one hell of a lot different proposition than being
Asst. General Manager of the Merchandise Mart. If JFK
hadn't plucked Shriver out of obscurity, and given him a
political sinecure in Washington, Shriver would still be out
there in the Merchandise Mart.
g) Utterly without experience or qualification to take over at a
moment's notice highest office in the land -- owes his nomina-
tion not to experience, nor demonstrated capacity, but to the
fact he happens to be an in-law of a famous family.
If it's O'BRIEN
a) Never held elective office in his life;
b) Political mercenary who wore the collar respectively of JFK,
then LBJ, the Bobby, then Hubert, now McGovern;
c) Political hatchet man whose appointment starts the McGovern
campaign down the low road -- his forte is attacking personali-
ties and the kind of name-calling that elected politicians could
not afford to engage in;
d) The essence of the old politics; the most notorious wheeler-
dealer on the American political scene;
e) McGovern's now making his payoff for Convention Chairman
O'Brien's "throwing" of the California delegate challenge.
O'Brien put in the fix -- by deciding the rules in favor of
McGovern -- and McGovern is paying O'Brien back for
handing him the nomination;
f) Act of utter political desperation -- after somewhere between
half a dozen and a dozen Senators and public officials refused
to run with George;
3
g) The leading bug-out candidate has embraced as his running
mate, the man who did the political throat-cutting of the
doves for LBJ in the middle sixties: the odd couple.
Buchanan
PB:nmb
bee.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 26, 1972
MEMORANDUM TO:
H. R. HALDEMAN
FROM:
PAT BUCHANAN
The letters operation which we helped put together two years ago,
and which has functioned well, is in danger of becoming bureaucratized
over at 1701. This is one instrument both Colson and I have used
to move the "negative" on McGovern -- safely -- into the media.
We had planned to continue using it in this fashion -- as we should;
to have our people writing letters in support of revenue sharing is,
in my view, a waste of a resource. That stuff is going to be decided
on the Hill. The imperative thing is to make sure that the McGovern
extremist material is being constantly put before the public, as the
public view on McGovern is beginning to harden.
As an example, we had that bit from Von Hoffman, where Kimmelman
was telling Polish jokes in his suite -- and were moving it to all
papers via letters to the editor in cities with large Polish populations.
This was halted by 1701 as "too negative." The point is that a) it
was totally legitimate and b) the letters don't go out on 1701 stationery.
In any event, the tendency to fold the letters operation into the overall
strategy is not wise, because of the nature of letters, and because this
should be a negative function. Negative letters are the most needed
now, the most likely to get printed now, and the most important as
McGovern's impression is hardening in the public mind.
We can use other sources to praise revenue sharing. But the letters
operation should go back to what it was doing. This indicates, in
my view, again, a. need to get some organization and structure on
the anti-campaign.
Buchanan