Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 142-003
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 1972 at 8:49 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/142-003
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417175331 (NAID 417175331)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Yeah.
[0:02] Yes, sir.
[0:04] I was thinking on the trip to Texas, I've been a little concerned about having the first thing that we do politically be the sort of Texas thing.
[0:16] Of course, we will announce the California and New York things also.
[0:21] But I think it would work in nicely.
[0:25] Why don't we just stop at the monument in Indianapolis on the way out?
[0:30] You could have one hell of a reception.
[0:35] I could make a very non-political speech about the cities and the mayor and all that.
[0:41] And in my mother's state, I've always made my first appearance in a campaign.
[0:49] I wouldn't say started the campaign.
[0:50] You know what I mean?
[0:52] Sort of the old affection, the Hoosier business.
[0:54] Got appeals to the farmers, to the Midwest, to Chicago.
[0:59] You could get one hell of a play.
[1:01] You'd lose the Rio Grande School for television.
[1:04] Well, that's...
[1:06] I know, I know.
[1:07] Maybe that's okay.
[1:08] I'm not sure.
[1:09] You'd lose it for...
[1:14] Yes, you do.
[1:17] But it would run the morning show, and they'd probably pick it up for the following evening, too.
[1:22] Because we're not going to run the Conley thing for television, particularly.
[1:25] No, but it's a Friday night, so you'd have...
[1:28] I see.
[1:28] You don't have the...
[1:30] Much on Saturday morning.
[1:32] The monument is going to be bad for television, isn't it?
[1:36] I mean, it'll show a huge crowd, you know.
[1:39] Right.
[1:40] You know, see, the crowd thing is what I think is just, basically I'm just thinking of the fact that McGovern is playing crowds right now.
[1:47] We come in with one hell of a crowd, you know.
[1:50] And you play the Rio Grande not as a national story, but as a Texas story.
[1:53] As a Texas story, and it would carry to the ethnics and everything else, and we do it in a very...
[2:00] low key and fine way and christ it's it'll go through texas like a and new mexico and california anyway let's look into that okay fine and uh i'll be back okay yeah good