Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-055

Colson & Howard on Gallup polls and Presidential approval ratings

Thursday, February 8, 1973 · 1:50 PM–2:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsColson, Charles W.; Howard, W. RickConversation043-055 on Tape 43StartThursday, February 8, 1973 at 1:50 PMEndThursday, February 8, 1973 at 2:15 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-055 ↗

AI Summary

Charles W. Colson directs W. Richard Howard to compile a chronological summary of Gallup presidential approval and disapproval ratings from January 1971 through early 1973. This data, focusing specifically on the president's job performance, is requested on a single sheet of paper to be delivered urgently to Stephen B. Bull. Howard is instructed to coordinate with Joanne L. Gordon to ensure the materials are prepared and delivered before Bull departs.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Let me have Dick Howard, please.
Okay.
Hello?
Yeah, let me have Dick, please.
Okay.
Hello?
Dick, pull together in the next half hour or 40 minutes at the longest all of the Gallup poll approval, disapproval.
president month by month from 1971 to and up through the latest 1973 Gallup poll.
And just have it on a sheet.
Not the trial.
It's just, you know, where they've asked that question, do you approve?
The president, how he's handling his job.
That's right.
Disapproval of the handling of the presidency.
Okay.
One sheet of paper just started with January 1971 and right through every time that question was asked by Gallup.
January 71st.
Yeah, I think Joanne had some of that stuff compiled.
You get it together, and we'll have it taken right to Steve Bull.
I'd like to have it before he leaves.
Okay.

NARA Description

On February 8, 1973, Charles W. Colson and W. Richard Howard talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-55

Date: February 8, 1973
Time: Unknown between 1:50 pm and 2:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Charles W. Colson talked with W. Richard Howard.

[See Conversation No. 409-20B]

[This is the original beginning of conversation No. 043-055, which has been merged with
conversation 043-054.]

       George H. Gallup polls on the President, 1971-73
            -Delivery to Stephen B. Bull
            -Joanne L. Gordon

Also recorded on February 8, 1973

  • 853-013 1:19 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:19 pm and 1:21 pm.
  • 853-014 1:21 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, John L. Campbell, John D. Ehrlichman, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., White House photographer, Jane Campbell, Charles J. DiBona, George P. Shultz, and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:21 pm to 2:33 pm.
  • 409-018 1:28 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Zosimo Monson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:28 pm and 1:49 pm.
  • 409-021 1:28 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:28 pm and 1:49 pm.
  • 043-053 1:49 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:49 pm.
  • 409-019 1:49 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:49 pm.
  • 043-054 1:50 PM · 13 sec — Charles W. Colson and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 409-020 1:50 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, unknown person(s), and W. Richard Howard met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:50 pm to 2:15 pm.

All 38 conversations from February 8, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-055, February 8, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-055 (accessed October 5, 2026).