Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 011-008
Date: Thursday, October 7, 1971 at 8:53 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Safire, William L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-008

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello.
[0:03] Well, you survived the thing.
[0:13] You know, the letters were, you know, I know that you and Ray and all the rest, they sort of regurgitate whenever I mention letters, but they've checked around the country.
[0:25] Three-fourths, that's all they mention.
[0:28] It was a nice, you know.
[0:30] You've just got to realize it's a way to get through to people.
[0:32] You've got to mention the fact that folks are calling rather than historic praise.
[0:38] Well, anyway.
[0:46] I think the prophet thing went well.
[0:46] Yeah.
[0:47] And that line about the great momentous historic things coming up...
[0:48] That was a good one, yeah.
[0:50] I got a few reactions to that.
[0:51] Don't you think that was good?
[1:12] Yeah.
[1:13] If it is.
[1:15] Well, it seemed to be handled respectfully by the press, too.
[1:19] Yeah, that killed him.
[1:31] Well, along those lines, I haven't listened to television.
[1:37] Around the country, that was the general feeling, you know, that we've made it understandable that people are for it.
[1:39] The thing is that we have to mobilize the public opinion, and boy, we've got them with us on this.
[1:46] We really have it with us, and that wasn't
[1:47] what this speech is all about, don't you think?
[1:55] Yeah.
[2:03] That's right.
[2:03] Oh, Christ.
[2:05] Look at that.
[2:05] Kill him.
[2:06] Kill him and kill the program.
[2:11] Great editorial saying, what a responsible, wonderful thing.
[2:14] And boy, the folks out there say, well, ho-hum, what the hell was that all about?
[2:18] But when they hear that a school teacher in Klamath Falls gave up 300 bucks a month, you know, that gets home.
[2:24] That's why you can't emphasize too strongly.
[2:27] Find a letter now and then, you know, a little story.
[2:30] That's what people need.
[2:31] They only relate to stories.
[2:35] But you did a fine job in pulling it all together so fast, and I think it's really, I think it'll go well.
[2:42] I think it'll go.
[2:43] Zeger was very pleased.
[2:45] He said that the press was
[2:46] quite well taken.
[2:51] And we had a lot of delicate problems rather well, I thought.
[2:58] Right.
[2:59] Okay, Bill.
[3:00] Thank you.