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    "label": "WHSF: Contested, 48-49",
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    "title": "WHSF: Contested, 48-49",
    "description": "This file contains:\n\nTalking points (Democratic Situation) - The New Hampshire Democratic Pirmary. 4 pgs. [Subject: Campaign] [Report], 3/7/1972",
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    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/71/1465/26146571/content/presidential-libraries/nixon/RN-RET/2546065/Contested-Box-48/Contested-48-49.pdf",
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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\n48\n49\n3/7/1972\nCampaign\nReport\nTalking points (Democratic Situation) - The\nNew Hampshire Democratic Pirmary. 4 pgs.\nThursday, June 04, 2015\nPage 1 of 1\nDOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]\nDOCUMENT\nDOCUMENT\nNUMBER\nTYPE\nSUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS\nDATE\nRESTRICTION\nN-1\nReport\nTalking Points Democratic\n3/7/72\nSituation) - The new Hompshire\nccmy)\n[DOC 144]\nDemocratic Premium\nN-2\nmemo\nSteve Embry cto Khochigian, re:\nnid.\n[Doc 145]\nTrushie as frontrumna\nFILE GROUP TITLE\nBOX NUMBER\nKEN KHACHIGAN\n24\nFOLDER TITLE Mushie II (Felimay 9, 1972 them march 31,19721\nL2/2]\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 Withdrawn and return private and personal material.\nor a libel of a living person.\nH. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.\nNATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION\nNA FORM 1421 (4-85)\nPresidential Materials Review Board\nReview on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:\n24\nFolder:\nMuskie V (February 8, 1972 thru March 31, 1972) [2 of 2]\nDocument\nDisposition\n144\nReturn Private/Political\n145\nReturn Private/Political\nTALKING POINTS (DEMOCRATIC SITUATION) -- THE NEW HAMPSHIRE\nDEMOCRATIC PRIMARY\nIf Muskie gets less than 50% of the vote, the outcome is\n\"astonishing.\" Coming in a state whose border is 25 miles from the\nplace where Muskie was born and raised; a state to which Muskie is\nregarded as a \"neighbor;\" Muskie's back yard; and a state where Muskie\nvisits every year the results must be considered a setback to his\ncandidacy.\n-- Muskie had virtually no opposition, especially considering his\nopponents insignificance ratings in national public opinion polls. Such\nan outcome indicates Muskie's support is soft and that Muskie was less\nthan a heavyweight.\nFrankly, we had considered Muskie to have the nomination\nvirtually sewed up. To win by such a narrow margin indicates that\nMuskie, as of now, might not make the distance and that Hubert Humphrey\nmust be considered a very real challenge to the Muskie candidacy.\nHumphrey is a much better campaigner, and as the titular head of\nthe Democratic party has a great deal of broad-based support throughout\nthe country. The bigwinner of the N.H. Primary was the man who didn't\neven appear on the ballot -- Hubert Humphrey.\nIf Muskie scores between 50% and 60%, much of the same above\napplies. It should be considered the most minimal of victories for\nMuskie and a pyrrhic victory. Anything less than 60% in his political\nback yard indicates a great weakening of Muskie's support.\nIf he gets around 65%, it should be noted that this was very much\nexpected that we thought he would get at least 65%, especially con-\nsidering his lack of major opposition and his geographic proximity. Only\na Muskie victory of 70% could be considered anything near the proportions\nof a candidate who is supposed to be so clearly a \"frontrunner.\"\nIn light of Muskie's small margin of victory, Republicans will\nsurely reassess Muskie's strength. He certainly is no longer the formidable\n\"Lincolnesque\" figure that he might have been considered.\nAsked about the crying incident, we have no comment on how it\naffected the election. The public should be the judge of a presidential\ncandidate's loss of composure over one or two isolated news articles.\nThere is some question on how Muskie would hold up against the pressures\nof a full-blown presidential campaign and the pressures of the Oval Office.\nAfter all, it is just starting. Most likely, Muskie's indecisiveness and the\nuncertainty on where he stands probably hurt Muskie more than anything else.\nIn general, the primary shows the disarray that pervades Democratic\nparty ranks. They have no true leadership -- nothing like the FDR--Truman--\nKennedy--Johnson tradition. They are confused, disunited, and leaderless\nand must do better to merit the public's support in November over a strong\nPresident.\nMushie\nTo Ken Khadigraw\nfrom Steve\nEmbry. MB\nMuskie is the Democratic frontrunner. He is also the candidate\nwith the greatest chance of uniting the Democratic Barty and\nthus the toughest of the President's potential opponents. At this\npoint we can do either of two things; 1) campaign against Muskie\n2, campaign against the developement of a united Democratic Party.\n1 favor the second strategy. It is nearly 10 months until the\nelection and a campaign directed at one person must grow momotonous\nover that length. Also attacks on Muskie at this point only serve\nto develope the impression that he is THE CANDIDATE and strengthen\nhis standing with his uneasy allies in the Dem. left wing.\nit would be better to concentrate on keeping the old '68 wounds\nopen. Muskie as the candidate of opportunity is claiming and\ngetting support on the left that should be going to McGovern.\nThey will support Muskie until so long as he is in the lead\nand offers the best chance to beat the President, but their hearts\nlie elsewhere. If Muskie can be denied a first ballot victory\nin Miami 1 believe his coalition will come apart, and with it\nthe Democratic rarty.\nDenying him the first ballot win will be difficult but not\nnecessarily impossible. If McGovern makes a decent showing in\nFlorida, relative to Big nd, and does well in Wisconsin and if\nthe caucus reform mechanism continues to add to his strength\nhe may have more at Miami than many now think. Also Humphrey\nis likely to call in 2 bedrock of delegates. Finally if Wallace\npicks up more than a spattering of Southern delegates the total\nadded to the splinter candidates may be enough.\nThere are several things we can do to help develope this\nsituation.. First tone down the attacks on Muskie, and stop\ntreating him like the candidate of the Democrats. When his actions\nrequire a response, give it, but to one of the possible candidates.\nContinue to hit him on his Johnny come Lately opposition to a\nWar the President is ending, but do not question his patriotism\nor take any action which is likely to draw sympathy from the\nlibs.\nMe Govern requires the opposite tactics. Attacks on him increase\nhis presitige, particularly when they are attacks on his programs.\nRedicule of his lack of progress in the polls is not helpful, instead\nhe should be refered to as\"one of the leading Demoeratic contenders!\nA rousing attack from the Vice President directed at the leading\nRad-Lib would probably do as much for him amoung the far left as\nwould an addition 5 points in New Hampshire.\nFinally it might help to leak to the press that the feeling is\nthat the Dem. Caucus reforms have greatly benefited McGovern\nand he is indeed a possible contender.\nNeedless to say the entire operation must be handled with\ngreat sophistication. A sudden and total change would be\ntransparent and sif defeating. Still 1 think the plan as\na whole has merit."
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