Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 157-028
Date: Saturday, December 9, 1972 at 4:00 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: Camp David Study Table
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/157-028

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Mr. Colson for you, sir.
[0:03] Yeah.
[0:03] Yes, sir, Mr. President.
[0:05] I guess I wonder what's happening on the Democrats.
[0:08] Well, the first vote they had was to impeach... Yeah, that didn't work.
[0:12] That failed, and...
[0:14] I've just been listening to the car radio because I was driving.
[0:17] What'd she do then?
[0:18] She resigned?
[0:19] Well, she's offered to quit if there's an acceptable compromise candidate.
[0:22] But she won't take straws?
[0:24] She will not take straws.
[0:25] Great.
[0:26] Well, isn't that good news for us?
[0:27] Marvelous news.
[0:28] And Nicole's vote's good news for us, isn't it?
[0:31] Yeah, they were divided right about up the middle, 100 to 105.
[0:35] Great.
[0:36] Which was just perfect.
[0:37] According to Connolly, I had to call him and call him.
[0:40] Connolly says that the second vote will be one where more of the radicals vote.
[0:44] It's not true.
[0:45] You see, it isn't a...
[0:47] This is a...
[0:48] I don't know how it's structured.
[0:50] The only person we've had over there getting information to us is Charlie Snyder, who's Wallace's man, who's on the committee.
[0:57] But... Who'd he vote for?
[1:00] I wasn't much doubt about that.
[1:01] Westwood?
[1:03] I think he voted to keep her in, yes.
[1:05] Sure.
[1:05] He's trying to screw them up.
[1:07] And, of course, he doesn't want O'Brien the way he won't let the Wallace people go for O'Brien.
[1:11] Good.
[1:12] And Manet and Mitchell were supposed to be agreeing on which way they will go.
[1:18] I mean, trying to join forces.
[1:20] You could go out of there.
[1:21] I mean, they could go out of there with Westwood still in, which would be the best for the whole world.
[1:25] Because that just, in this whole coalition that ran the ads this week, you know, the Come Home Democrats coalition.
[1:32] What was that?
[1:32] Oh, did they run ads?
[1:33] I didn't know.
[1:33] Yes.
[1:34] Oh, yeah, they ran ads.
[1:35] The McGovernites did?
[1:35] No, no.
[1:36] These were the, you know, the Ben Wattenbergs and the conservative Democrats.
[1:41] Oh, yeah.
[1:42] Scamming.
[1:43] Scamming?
[1:44] No, he wouldn't sign it.
[1:46] Because he won't.
[1:47] He doesn't call himself a Democrat anymore.
[1:50] I really want to try to get us scamming in more, you know.
[1:54] Let's get him with us.
[1:56] He belongs with us.
[1:57] And if we could just figure some way, well, maybe as you were talking about today, a little bit of a occasionally, occasionally a kitchen cabinet kind of a thing, just occasionally advising us.
[2:07] Because God, his judgment is sound.
[2:09] And
[2:10] He'll be with us.
[2:11] Good news, good news, good news.
[2:12] He'll stay with us because he thinks the election was won on just exactly the issues that he told us.
[2:19] I think he's right.
[2:20] Oh, absolutely right.
[2:23] I think it was an election on the social issue, not...
[2:27] necessarily just...
[2:28] I think another thing, however, that you'd have to add to that, I don't think he gives enough credit to May 8th, the theory of the Lubels and the May 8th thing had one hell of an impact.
[2:39] Well, so did Russia and China, my guess.
[2:41] Oh, yes.
[2:42] I mean, we had a lot of positive things going.
[2:45] They all fell into place right when you think about it.
[2:48] It was just perfect.
[2:49] But I think Scanlon's point is great validity, too.
[2:54] He wrote a brilliant analysis for the FFL-CIO, which I...
[2:57] You know, I read, I passed it on to you, I read Buchanan's piece, which I think was brilliant, but I also read Dick Wilson's column.
[3:10] I think the Wilson column should be circulated about 10,000.
[3:13] You see, he's a respected guy, and...
[3:17] And that was a hell of a column.
[3:20] Oh, he picked it up beautifully.
[3:21] Oh, and he put it all as his own.
[3:23] And others have been doing very much the same thing.
[3:26] Have they?
[3:27] Because, you know, we can't... Let me say this.
[3:29] You remember what they did for poor old Hoover?
[3:31] Unjustifiably, they destroyed him after that.
[3:34] That's right.
[3:35] Now, with this fellow, he just cannot be allowed to have that Harriet Van Horn.
[3:39] That was beautiful of Buchanan to do that, but I'll tell you...
[3:43] Now it's a thing that this guy has got to be and his people destroyed.
[3:48] Well, he sure does.
[3:50] And I think today, of course, is a marvelous step because it'll keep him fighting.
[3:56] I don't much care how it comes out.
[3:59] That's right.
[4:01] the McGovernites remain in that much control and have that much power.
[4:06] That committee isn't going to change between now and the next election.
[4:08] They don't want to.
[4:09] You know, a point my daughter Julie was making, it's very interesting, and she's rather perceptive talking about what we've done.
[4:16] You know, the real point is that some people recognize that we really did this on our own.
[4:23] I mean, this was very much a personal victory in every sense of the word.
[4:29] Completely.
[4:30] I mean, hell, there isn't any party, Mr. President.
[4:32] I read an analysis that the RNC put together of how Republican counties in Michigan voted with heavier turnout than Democratic counties.
[4:39] Well, their contention was that proved they got out the vote.
[4:42] They always do.
[4:43] Of course.
[4:43] And the point is they didn't as much as they usually do.
[4:47] And our majorities in Democratic counties, like Wayne and Macomb,
[4:52] in those counties was a hell of a lot bigger than ever before.
[4:54] If you really looked at where valid they are and see how they're labeled.
[4:58] But the point is, your point is absolutely valid, that it was done by you.
[5:05] that he wrote about 10 days ago in which he said...
[5:08] I've got to read White's.
[5:09] Would you be sure that gets to me some way?
[5:11] Yes, sir.
[5:11] He said that anybody who complains about the president not helping the Republican Party is nuts.
[5:16] Would you send that over to me, Chuck, Monday?
[5:20] I'll be back Monday.
[5:21] Yes, sir, I will.
[5:23] He made a gorgeous point.
[5:25] He said the president captured the center...
[5:28] He said we captured the center...
[5:30] He said we captured the center of the country and that the Republican Party, if it had been smart, would have just grabbed hold of...
[5:36] the centrist coalition that Nixon was building.
[5:38] Instead of complaining about republicanism, you know, they missed the boat.
[5:43] How's the mood in Princeton?
[5:46] Are they booing you up there?
[5:49] Oh, sir, it's very quiet.
[5:50] I was just visiting my son's room, and it's got some Nixon posters up, but they haven't thrown them out of here yet, so...
[5:58] Is he happy?
[6:00] Very.
[6:00] What was the reaction on the Princeton campus when it all happened?
[6:05] Were they very down?
[6:06] They weren't as tough as Harvard, were they?
[6:09] No.
[6:10] It's a lot quieter, and it's a lot quieter than it's ever been before.
[6:15] But I mean, how'd they accept the election?
[6:18] Just as if it hadn't happened.
[6:21] I see.
[6:22] Well, that's not fair.
[6:23] There's about a quarter of the campus that are activists on our side.
[6:27] The rest of them are blasé to politics, frankly.
[6:31] They didn't turn out to be the new social reformers that McGovern was planning on.
[6:36] And a very tolerant, my son says, a very tolerant atmosphere here now.
[6:42] And he can go around and be activist, young Republican things, and put his Nixon buttons up and not nobody... Two years ago, that would have been suicide, but...
[6:55] It's a hell of a lot better feeling.
[6:57] He said actually about a third of the students at Kansas were for it.
[7:02] Well, I really appreciate what they've done.
[7:03] And now in the country, I think we got about half the college vote.
[7:07] Oh, sure.
[7:07] I mean, my God, you balance Princeton or Harvard or Yale and Columbia against Ohio State and Kentucky and Vanderbilt and Tulane.
[7:20] Of course, I'm damn sure we did.
[7:22] These kids aren't that far off.
[7:23] I think the radical
[7:26] They can't muster any kind of an active demonstration anymore.
[7:32] The fire has gone out of it.
[7:34] That's one of the other things that you've done.
[7:38] Now we're going to keep it up.
[7:40] Well, we're continuing to work.
[7:43] Just for your private information on Vietnam, Hague is coming back to consult with me tomorrow.
[7:48] I heard that on the... Henry's meeting again on Monday.
[7:51] But I just told him, just keep negotiating.
[7:54] I said, that's the thing to do.
[7:55] Keep it going.
[7:56] I have to say, having read what I read the other day, that it sounded to me like they were testing him.
[8:02] Yeah, that's right.
[8:03] But we've just got to make a deal.
[8:05] Don't you agree?
[8:06] I'd like to see us, yes, sir.
[8:08] But if you don't...
[8:10] Oh, sure.
[8:10] Naturally, I'd like to see us do it.
[8:12] But if you don't, I think that...
[8:14] I don't think you have to go to the country.
[8:16] I think the country's with you.
[8:17] I don't think the country's ever been more with you.
[8:21] All the fire is out of the other side.
[8:23] There's a feeling of...
[8:24] There's a good feeling in the country.
[8:25] I get this from everybody I talk to.
[8:28] And it's gotten steadily better since the election because it's a divisive...
[8:32] I mean, McGovern and his rhetoric, that was a trauma for the country.
[8:36] But everybody's kind of glad that's over and a happy feeling.
[8:39] Exactly.
[8:40] economy is good.
[8:40] Now, I think the country, Mr. President, is with you, and I think if Henry hangs in there, I think you'll get it, because I think they were pushing it, but testing it.
[8:49] Well, we've made some progress since that last stock.
[8:51] That's great.
[8:53] Not as much as we want, but some.
[8:55] Well, if we can get it, we should get it, of course, but whatever the outcome, I don't think at this point, this juncture, you have to worry.
[9:04] I think there's a feeling of normalcy and
[9:10] This is my reading.
[9:14] People I respect read that Sendinger's Consumer Confidence Index keeps going up.
[9:18] Is it going up?
[9:19] It must be going up.
[9:20] My God, no.
[9:21] The market's going up, and everybody on Wall Street is happy as hell.
[9:25] It ought to be.
[9:26] Christ.
[9:26] Oh, my God.
[9:27] Just think, it's now 10.30, and it was 6.30 when I told those bastards to buy.
[9:32] That's right.
[9:32] That's right.
[9:33] Just think of that.
[9:34] Almost 100% increase.
[9:37] God.
[9:37] Well, it's a...
[9:38] It's a great tribute to you.
[9:40] And Julie's point is right.
[9:42] You did a lot.
[9:43] No, everybody helped.
[9:45] Her point was that she and her mother and sister and everything had done a job.
[9:49] But she said a very interesting reaction.
[9:53] She said, you know, we all helped.
[9:54] But she said in 68, we helped really more because then we had to change the image of being a loser and a mean man and the rest.
[10:02] And he said this time, she said...
[10:07] that really it was the people with us.
[10:11] Oh, no question.
[10:12] You brought them around.
[10:13] I think the phrase you used earlier, the national confidence, self-confidence coming back is really what's happening in the country.
[10:21] That to me, I know when we were talking about Key Biscayne that there isn't a future for the Republican Party.
[10:27] Well, as a party that may be, but I think these four years are going to be very different than the second four years.
[10:36] I think you
[10:38] country more behind you now on the things that really count.
[10:41] And I think that's transferable.
[10:43] I think at least... Well, we hope so.
[10:47] Well, anyway, our best to everybody concerned.
[10:53] Well, thank you, Mr. President.
[10:55] We just hope the Democrats keep screwed up.
[10:57] Well, it sounded, as I say, I kept first-hand reports, but then once it leaves to drive, it's good up here to have dinner with my son.
[11:04] I'm coming back tonight.
[11:05] Good.
[11:06] I'll get a full report from Snyder on what went on on your side.
[11:09] Okay.
[11:09] Bye.
[11:10] Thank you, Mr. President.