Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 015-089
Date: Monday, November 22, 1971 at 12:19 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.; MacGregor, Clark; Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-089

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:01] Yes, sir.
[0:02] Well, our crew around here should give you an A again.
[0:05] Well, that's good.
[0:05] And they thought you were a little soft on Meany.
[0:08] Really?
[0:09] Yeah, a little soft.
[0:10] I didn't want to hit him, too.
[0:13] That was great.
[0:14] But we also were, I was particularly pleased, too, with the positive things you said on the economy.
[0:20] You really reamed that home.
[0:23] The housing and the automobiles and so forth, and it's all moving in the right direction.
[0:28] I was, I really felt... Well, that's the reason I had all of that in the opening statement, so we could be sure to get it in.
[0:36] Well, that was the point, that you led right off with it and got that.
[0:39] And it's pretty hard.
[0:40] I just hope they write that part, too.
[0:42] Well, I hope they will.
[0:43] But they heard it.
[0:44] At least a lot of movers and shakers heard that part.
[0:47] They were able to tune in at the noon, you know, the guys up around Wall Street, and so forth, and Spring Street, and so forth, and so on.
[0:53] And strangely enough, a lot of old ladies and old men will hear it.
[0:56] The mail from old people is incredible on these noon appearances.
[1:01] Yeah, but that's right.
[1:03] Out across the country, they're retired people, and boy, they're a very important audience.
[1:08] Well, they are a very important audience.
[1:10] 90% of the mail comes from those kind of people.
[1:12] One thing that has happened, incidentally, as I was interrupted on it,
[1:15] that they interrupted your thing to say that India, there was a report that it attacked East Pakistan.
[1:23] So that may have the effect, unfortunately, of hypoing that issue.
[1:29] Henry just came in and gave me a report on it during your broadcast.
[1:33] They didn't interrupt it long.
[1:34] They only took about a minute out of it.
[2:06] I hope you feel good because I know how much effort these are and how much emotional strain they are, but you seem to enjoy it.
[2:13] I don't enjoy it.
[2:15] I don't enjoy it.
[2:18] You know how much effort and strain it is.
[2:21] Now listen, I got both McGregor and Colson here.
[2:23] I'll see which one.
[2:24] Do you want to say anything to the secretary?
[2:27] Here's McGregor.
[2:29] How you doing?
[2:31] John, that was great.
[2:32] Thank you, sir.
[2:34] What I liked particularly, the positive things about the economy, of course, were helpful as well.
[2:39] We agree with the president.
[2:40] You were awful soft on George Maney.
[2:42] I mean, words like arrogance and boorishness, you know, those are such timid words.
[2:47] Well, he deserves it.
[2:50] He deserves every bit of it.
[2:51] It was particularly helpful, I think, John, although I'm certainly no authority in this area, for you to point out that you had some 80 million workers and that organized labor only speaks for about a fourth of them.
[3:00] That's right.
[3:01] I wanted to make that point, that he doesn't speak for all the working people, and we're not going to sabotage a program that helps all the people just on his behalf.
[3:09] And the final wind-up or the last question, when you said whether it's the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, when they've got good candidates, good issues, a good program, they get the campaign contributions.
[3:18] But this thing is no respecter of any political party.
[3:23] It has to do with the political system.
[3:25] That's right.
[3:26] Good and most helpful to us, John, in our battle system.
[3:28] It won't change the vote.
[3:29] It'll just create an issue.
[3:30] But at least it'll help create an issue.
[3:33] Oh, well, thanks a million.
[3:33] You were most helpful.
[3:34] All right.
[3:35] Just a minute.
[3:38] I just want to know what you're going to do for Encores.
[3:40] Well, goddamn you.
[3:41] You just forget that I exist.
[3:45] You move around trouble and everybody I know.
[3:49] I'll tell you, that phrase that the business community is out of step with the consumer, I've heard that out of step phrase before.
[3:54] That's what they are.
[3:57] That was a smash hit.
[3:59] It really was.
[4:00] On all counts.
[4:00] They come through all right.
[4:02] John, I imagine there's an awful lot of squirming and wriggling going on in Miami right now.
[4:05] Well...
[4:06] I wanted to hit him.
[4:07] I didn't say anything I didn't mean.
[4:09] You didn't really hit him.
[4:10] You just roughed him up a little bit.
[4:11] That's good.
[4:12] Isn't that the Texas expression?
[4:14] Well, that's right.
[4:14] I wanted to rough him up.
[4:15] Just touch him up a mite.
[4:16] Yeah, that's right.
[4:17] Beautiful job, John.
[4:18] Thank you, Jack.
[4:18] Beautiful.
[4:19] Yes, sir.