Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 153-001
Date: Monday, November 13, 1972 at 3:55 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David Operator; Longworth, Alice Roosevelt
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-001

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:06] I was a matter of fact, uh, when I was, uh, I learned from Rose, you'd call the
[0:30] When we were in Florida, I said, well, when I get back, I'll give you a ring.
[0:33] I'm at Camp David now.
[0:34] I just met with Hague.
[0:37] He's back from Saigon.
[0:38] Back from Saigon.
[0:42] And that, incidentally, is going just right.
[0:44] Going just right.
[0:45] Yeah.
[0:47] As you can imagine, we had the wraps on those last two or three days, and they were charging.
[0:51] There was nothing going on.
[0:52] But you can be sure it's all done.
[0:55] Oh, I was well aware.
[0:56] But I can't tell you it's been such fun because of our opposition, what is told to the jury.
[1:04] Well, they must be.
[1:06] I can't tell you it's been fun.
[1:08] They must be dying because, you know, they all were right to the last.
[1:12] They were saying, oh, it's going to change and the polls will come down.
[1:16] And now they're stuck with it.
[1:18] Whether it's their 61-38, that's...
[1:21] You know, they are... All they can say is we didn't win the Congress.
[1:24] Well, that doesn't mean much these days.
[1:25] That doesn't mean much.
[1:26] Not as things are going now.
[1:29] It's one of the most fantastic... You must be getting a lot of reactions from people, your old friends.
[1:34] I'm having a good time.
[1:35] Yeah?
[1:35] A really good time.
[1:36] Yeah, really?
[1:37] I'm mean as a hornet.
[1:39] That's great.
[1:40] That's great.
[1:40] That's great.
[1:41] I try and keep my cool.
[1:43] Yeah, of course.
[1:43] I nearly didn't in the campaign.
[1:45] There were moments when I felt...
[1:47] But nobody needed me.
[1:49] If I was ever needed, I was there.
[1:51] Of course, of course, of course.
[1:52] Yeah, yeah.
[1:52] And I kept— Well, you know, they talk about tactics and all, Watergate and all that.
[2:00] Have you ever heard, I mean, a president attacked as roughly as we got as the Shriver-McGovern people took us on?
[2:09] I mean, the names that they called.
[2:11] I mean, I look back to the time that, you know, your father was in, and they talked pretty rough in those days.
[2:17] But they used a term like a rat or something like that, but my God.
[2:20] The world murderer.
[2:22] The world murderer.
[2:23] And as a matter of fact, Pat used the rat on himself.
[2:25] And he said, even a rat when cornered will fight.
[2:28] Poor William Howard.
[2:29] Even a rat when cornered will fight.
[2:31] Yeah, I'll never forget that.
[2:32] Yes, but we behaved very badly.
[2:34] We did.
[2:35] The Bull Moose, we behaved dreadfully.
[2:38] Yeah, well.
[2:38] We were dreadful, but never mind.
[2:40] That language was nothing compared to what they used, though.
[2:42] Oh, but dear Mr. President, I'm nice to call you.
[2:44] I nearly wrote you a note.
[2:45] call you dear dick because it was between time well of course between the nomination and the next right right i retreat now right to mr president right and dear pat she's doing such a good job yes well actually you know they uh they they i really was proud of the family pat and julie and tricia they they banged her out at 30 states oh i think but of course when i look at when i consider the
[3:11] As I've told the people about me, my mother and I were put behind a screen door in the drawing room and allowed to listen, but we couldn't be seen.
[3:22] When my father was nominated for vice president.
[3:25] Vice president, right, right, right, right, right.
[3:27] Oh, and the rest of the time, once I did dedicate...
[3:30] dedicated bridge or something.
[3:32] Right.
[3:33] Before he went out.
[3:34] And that is considered iconoclastic.
[3:36] Of course.
[3:37] Boy, how times have changed.
[3:39] Well, I hate to see you.
[3:40] Let me know sometime when you and Patterson are around.
[3:42] Well, we'll do it.
[3:44] But you're in good spirits, obviously.
[3:46] I'm not quite in good spirits.
[3:47] I'm rather old.
[3:48] Well, so am I.
[3:50] Did you realize that I will reach that magic age of 60 on January the 9th?
[3:56] January 9th, 60.
[3:57] And that is really old.
[3:59] For this office, you know.
[4:01] Yes, that's right.
[4:02] For this office.
[4:03] I was reading a biography of your, of T.R.
[4:06] T.R.
[4:06] And he died when he was 60, didn't he?
[4:08] I know.
[4:09] Didn't he?
[4:10] He was a little bit over 60.
[4:11] Remember, he was, because he left the presidency when he was only 52.
[4:15] He was only 52 when he left the presidency.
[4:18] And he just managed to get there about...
[4:19] two months earlier than John Kennedy did.
[4:23] Right.
[4:24] Well, one thing I think we really must—you know, when you stop to think, after all of the abuse we took, that we took—we not only got forty-nine states, and Julie, who went to Smith, said, if we had to lose one, I'm glad it was Massachusetts, because they treat them pretty rough up there.
[4:41] But anyway, you get the point.
[4:43] But we also, as it turned out, you know, we had the biggest numerical margin and also the biggest—
[4:49] Yes.
[4:50] Oh, yes.
[4:50] The biggest in America.
[4:51] And also the biggest percentage spread.
[4:55] It was bigger than—you see the what?
[4:57] They're very pleasing figures.
[4:59] I've gone through them all with very many channels.
[5:03] Oh, what fun.
[5:05] And now there's no word used still.
[5:08] Yeah, we are going to try the Vietnam thing, as I said.
[5:14] When the story comes out, I think you'll think we look pretty good, because we knew, I knew three days before that we were going to go forward with everything, you know?
[5:23] Did you really?
[5:23] Of course, but I couldn't say it.
[5:25] No, of course not.
[5:25] Because, you know, he didn't want to blow it.
[5:27] But it's all right.
[5:28] It's all right.
[5:29] I figured it.
[5:30] And I knew we were going to take heat for it, but it was a little rough to have them saying that the whole damn thing was a hoax.
[5:36] Well, you know, and to have some of our brethren in the press play it that way, like Peter Lissigar, people like that.
[5:42] A little bit shocking.
[5:43] Well, all right.
[5:44] But I do hope I'll see you soon.
[5:47] Yes, we will.
[5:49] We'll get together and we'll have a little fun with some good reactionaries, if you don't mind.
[5:55] Good reactionaries.
[5:55] Good.
[5:56] And let me know when I can come down and see Pat.
[5:58] Great.
[5:59] I'll do it.
[6:00] Okay.
[6:01] Okay.
[6:01] Bye.
[6:02] Bye.