Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-010
Nixon phone call with Connally on State of the Union and Political Strategy
Wednesday, January 19, 1972 · 2:29 PM–2:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with John B. Connally regarding the final draft of his upcoming State of the Union speech, specifically requesting feedback on its tone and style. Nixon characterized the speech as conciliatory in response to recent political attacks from figures like Ted Kennedy and Fred Harris, while noting that a broader administration strategy would handle partisan criticisms. Connally agreed with the approach of letting Congressional allies, such as Hugh Scott and Gerald Ford, counter attacks while the President maintained a more elevated posture.
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Hello.
Yes, sir.
I don't want to bother you because I know you've got Flanagan coming in, but Haldeman is bringing over a copy of what I call my...
final reading copy of the State of the Union.
Yes, sir.
And after you finish with them, if you could, I don't know what your schedule is, if you could take a time, just read it through.
I will.
And give me a ring.
I've tried, after we talked the night before yesterday, I've gone over and I've, it's, you may feel a little too mild, but I just thought that in view of the rather vicious attacks that
the likes of Kennedy and Harris and others have made that I ought to, frankly, to a certain extent, turn the other cheek.
But on the other hand, as you know, we're putting out a 15,000-word opus in which we lay out everything that hasn't been done.
And in this, I mention the fact that there are 90 legislative proposals that I've already presented that we need action on.
And the only two new things are
the one in which we sort of say that maybe later in the year we may have something on the tax matter.
And the other new thing, of course, is totally non-controversial, the technological stuff, you know, which Magruder's working on.
But my main interest and what I'd like for you to do is to read it for tone and style.
Now, you'll be interested to see this.
My
We do not give it this way to the press, but I thought you'd like to see the way that I have it typed for me.
I think...
When I write a speech, when I do it myself, and then I also, when I deliver it, I think in outline terms, and so I've got this down in outline terms, but I don't think it'll bother you as you read it.
No, I'm sure it won't.
But when you see one or subparagraph one, I don't say that.
Yes, sir.
I understand.
The purpose is to get my own rhythm and cadence, but you'll find it, I think, rather interesting as a speaker yourself.
One other guy does it.
All right, sir.
But it is deliberately, as I said...
It's very conciliatory, but it lays it out there.
I'm sure I won't have any argument with that.
I think that's where you ought to be right now.
The way you and I talk, you know, we were talking the other day.
I was coming on the homestretch, and I...
and thought, well, the real question was whether I ought to make it a little tougher, particularly after Kennedy's attack.
And then I thought, hell no, that that'd be just the wrong reaction.
Now, to be sure that you didn't misunderstand me the other day, Mr. President, when I was talking about what you ought to do in your demeanor and behavior and what you say, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't set up a campaign organization and get it prepared right now and get somebody else to do it.
Yeah, well, as you may have noticed, and this was as a result of Colson's operation and McGregor's,
we did have some pretty good answers.
Scott, didn't you think that was all right?
Scott and Ford took them on real hard.
Yes, sir.
And Dole got in a couple of licks.
And I think that's what you have to be prepared to do.
I think we've got to hit them right back every time they do these things.
Let me ask you just one other thing briefly on that score.
One thing that particularly outraged me was that damn Harris's thing.
And yet I hate to have our people elevate him at all, but what do you think?
No, I didn't answer him, and I don't think anybody else should.
What do you think?
He barely took me on, but what he's trying to do, he's basically trying to say that you and all this administration are tools of the fat cats and the privileged class and the oil boys, and he's a no-good son of a bitch, and I don't think he...
He deserves it.
Well, the thing about that is that... Now, take the oil thing.
Hell, you know we made a lot of oil people mad.
You sure did.
For what we've done.
And by the same token, frankly, I do not want to go out and say to the...
I don't want our people to go out and say that I'm not a friend of the oil people.
Because, basically, John, I am.
You know, let's face it.
That's what I believe.
And I frankly think Harris attacking us may let some of those oil people know that, by golly...
that their enemies are our enemies.
What do you think?
I think that's right.
I don't know what reaction you get, but let me know if you, on that score, if you feel that somebody ought to take him on, I'll sick one, I'll sick Goldwater on him.
I've talked to some people about it, some of the members of the House.
Have you?
They don't think he deserves a reply.
I mean, at this point, so many of them hold him in utter contempt that they really don't think he deserves a reply.
Well, the son of a bitch has even grown a mustache.
That's right.
Well, that finishes me with him.
Anyway, he's a lowlife.
Well, he's finished anyway.
Of course he is.
He's not running.
He gave up running for president.
He can't be re-elected.
He redominated his own party.
His own party.
And now, so he's sniping away.
But anyway, if you'll read it, and I'll be here.
I'm just marking this up for delivery.
But call me if you think there's anything in the way that...
you feel change so forth the foreign policy thing you i think you will agree is quite skillful i wrote that of course very carefully and larger it will be followed by on february 8th with a major foreign policy report as we always have at the foreign policy one sets forth our principles very clearly and i think you'll like it roger okay
NARA Description
On January 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 2:29 pm to 2:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-10
Date: January 19, 1972
Time: 2:29 pm - 2:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with John B. Connally.
[See Conversation No. 315-16]
John B. Connally's schedule
-Peter M. Flanigan
-The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Draft
-Request for a call from Connally
The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
-The President's January 17, 1972 conversation with Connally
-Tone
-Edward M. Kennedy, Fred R. Harris
-Length
-Legislative proposals
-Number
-Taxes
-Technology
-William M. Magruder
-Tone, style
-Structure of speech
-Outline
-Rhythm and cadence
-Tone
-Kennedy
1972 campaign
-The President's possible organization
Kennedy
-Charles W. Colson's and Clark MacGregor's activities
-Response by Congressmen
-Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Robert Dole
Harris
-Possible White House response
-Attack on Connally and the administration
-Oil interests
-Possible effect
-Barry M. Goldwater's possible response
-Connally's conversation with members of Congress
-Political status
The President's forthcoming “State of the Union” speech
-Foreign policy section
-Forthcoming foreign policy report
-February 8, 1972Also recorded on January 19, 1972
- 651-013 1:15 PM · 17 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 11:59 pm.
- 019-007 1:40 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:43 pm.
- 019-008 1:43 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone from 1:43 pm to 1:44 pm.
- 019-009 2:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:29 pm.
- 019-011 2:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 3:43 pm.
- 019-012 3:43 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 019-013 3:58 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:58 pm to 3:59 pm.
- 019-014 4:30 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 4:30 pm to 4:31 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 019-010, January 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-010 (accessed October 11, 2026).