Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 033-025
Date: Saturday, November 4, 1972 at 10:34 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Baker, Howard H., Jr.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/033-025

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:03] Mr. Baker, Mr. President.
[0:06] Hello, Mr. President.
[0:08] The purpose of my call is very simple, to wish you the very best on Election Day, all of our candidates the very best as you go around and campaign, and to tell the people of Tennessee that
[0:20] I regret I couldn't get there, but that I remember all of my visits, and I, in these next four years, I'll be back, just to thank them for the support they've given me through the years.
[0:30] You're terribly thoughtful to do that, and I'll pass that message on.
[0:34] And also, I hope you will say, too, that as you go around, that we stand for peace with honor, not surrender, that we're for a strong America, not a weak America.
[0:43] that we're for the kind of progress that will bring real prosperity without war and without inflation.
[0:48] I think, too, on the peace issue, you should emphasize that we have, as I pointed out, made a major breakthrough and reached agreement on the issues of the ceasefire and the return of our prisoners of war and the South Vietnamese choosing their own government without having the communists
[1:06] coalition is being pulled upon, that I'm insisting that the details be nailed down so that we won't have the kind of a breakdown we had after 68.
[1:15] And I believe in being firm on it.
[1:19] Don't you agree with that?
[1:20] Oh, yeah.
[1:20] I couldn't agree worse, McGovern.
[1:22] Our friend is trying to say it's all a hoax.
[1:25] It's no hoax, Howard.
[1:25] You can be sure of that.
[1:27] Oh, I don't think there's one person in a million that thinks that, as a matter of fact.
[1:30] I told John Ehrlichman when we were talking before you came on the line that I was going to tell you that I was going to scale down what I really believe your margin's going to be in Tennessee, and after scaling it down, I'm going to call it 70-30.
[1:44] In Tennessee?
[1:45] Yeah, in Ehrlichman.
[1:46] Well, look, write down your real estimate and mail it to me.
[1:49] That's all I would.
[1:50] Okay.
[1:51] All right.
[1:52] Well, good luck.
[1:53] And would you, Howard, I will not call the house guys.
[1:56] I can't.
[1:56] Would you personally call every house candidate and tell them that I mentioned them to you by name?
[2:02] I will indeed.
[2:03] Okay.
[2:03] Do that right now.
[2:04] All right.
[2:05] Thank you.
[2:05] Goodbye.
[2:06] Goodbye.