Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 145 › Conversation 145-001
Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 Presidential Campaign
Saturday, September 30, 1972 · 1:35 PM–2:05 PM ET · Camp David Study Table ·13 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson reviewed 1972 reelection campaign strategy, focusing heavily on mobilizing blue-collar and ethnic support through union leaders. The two analyzed various polling data from sources like Gallup and Harris to gauge George McGovern's standing and the impact of the Thomas Eagleton affair. They also discussed regional political shifts, particularly in Rhode Island, and expressed concern regarding media bias and the specific cultural issues fueling anti-McGovern sentiment.
- 1972 Presidential Campaign
- Public Opinion Polling
- Blue-collar vote
- George McGovern
- Thomas Eagleton affair
- Labor Unions
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On September 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:35 pm and 2:05 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 145-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 145-1
Date: September 30, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:35 pm and 2:05 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 214-1]
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/21/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[145-001-w001]
[Duration: 22m 30s]
1972 campaign
-Donald F. Rodgers
-Columbus
-Indianapolis
-Chicago
-Rank and file support for the President
-Union leaders
-Billy Martin
-Operating Engineers
-Illinois
-Teamsters
-Queens
-Baltimore
-Building and Trades Council
-George S. McGovern
-Political approach
-Suburbs vs. blue collar
-Suburbs
-Domestic Council
(rev. Feb-24)
-Edwin L. Harper
-Leo Frank
-Vietnam War
-Gary W. Hart
-Frank F. Mankiewiecz
-Democratic strength pork chop vote
-Ethnic areas
-Polish
-Italian
-Polls
-Louis Harris
-Italian
-Irish
-Local polls vs. national polls
-Douglas L. Hallett
-Inman Square
-Find out what people are thinking
-Louis Harris
-Richard M. Scammon
-Hardin County, Kentucky
-Richard M. Nixon
-88 - 11 percent
-George S. McGovern
-John G. Schmitz
-Newspaper endorsement
-Walter Huddleston
-Louis B. Nunn
-Richard M. Nixon
-George H. Gallup
-McGovernites
-George S. McGovern
-New York Times endorsement
-News magazines
-Networks
-Point spread of election polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Daniel Yankelovitch
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Lyndon B. Johnson
(rev. Feb-24)
-Significance
-38 days left
-Effect on campaigns
-Robert Teeter
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Robert Teeter
-George S. McGovern
-Unfavorable impression
-George H. Gallup polls
-Closing the gap
-Press
-George S. McGovern
-Louis Harris
-George H. Gallup
-Louis Harris
-1964 Gallup polls
-Barry M. Goldwater (1964)
-Lyndon B. Johnson (1964)
-October/November polls
-George S. McGovern
-Barry M. Goldwater
-1964 landslide
-Tilting polls
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-George S. McGovern
-George H. Gallup polls
-Louis Harris polls
-Robert Teeter
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Blacks
-Poor people
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-George S. McGovern closing the gap
-Louis Harris
-George H. Gallup
-Louis Harris
-New York Times
-Thomas E. Dewey
(rev. Feb-24)
-Points significance
-Charles W. Colson’s opinion
-1956
-George H. Gallup
-Louis Harris
-Richard M. Nixon
-George S. McGovern
-Enormous exposure
-Dorothy D. Corey poll
-Patrick Caddell
-Herbert DeSimone
-Shoe plants
-Machine tool
-Support for the President
-Rhode Island
-Anti-George S. McGovern feeling
-Dope
-Pot
-Permissiveness
-Abortion
-Dislike of George S. McGovern’s personality
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Arizona
-Pro-Richard M. Nixon feeling
-Economy
-Jewish community
-Rhode Island
-Democratic politicians
-Mayor of Providence
-State chairman
-George S. McGovern
-Frank F. Mankiewiecz
-Lawrence F. O'Brien Jr.
-Potential points gained
-George H. Gallup
-Louis Harris
-Republican convention
-Thomas F. Eagleton affair
-Louis Harris polls
(rev. Feb-24)
-George S. McGovern continues to decline
-Frank F. Church
-Media
-Thomas F. Eagleton
-George S. McGovern
-Jean Westwood
-President’s opinion
-Colson’s opinion
-Homosexuality
-George S. McGovern supporters
-George Meany
-Perceived homosexual tendencies
-George S. McGovern
-Liberace
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason
Richard M. Scammon
-Reports
*****************************************************************Also recorded on September 30, 1972
- 180-001 1:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 1:05 pm on September 30, 1972 and 9:22 am on October 3, 1972.
- 180-002 1:05 PM · 11 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 1:05 pm on September 30, 1972 and 9:22 am on October 3, 1972.
- 180-003 1:05 PM · 22 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Nelson Pierce talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 1:05 pm on September 30, 1972 and 9:22 am on October 3, 1972.
- 180-004 1:05 PM · 12 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 1:05 pm on September 30, 1972 and 9:22 am on October 3, 1972.
- 214-001 1:35 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:35 pm to 2:05 pm.
- 145-002 2:05 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:05 pm and 2:32 pm.
- 214-002 2:05 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:05 pm and 2:32 pm.
- 145-003 2:32 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:32 pm to 2:36 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 145-001, September 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/145-001 (accessed September 18, 2026).