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Conversation 278-004

TapeTape 278StartThursday, September 9, 1971 at 1:20 PMEndThursday, September 9, 1971 at 1:33 PMTape start time00:03:44Tape end time00:06:18ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the reception of the President's recent economic speech and prepare for his upcoming address on domestic policy initiatives, including revenue sharing, government reorganization, and welfare reform. Nixon expresses significant frustration with his speechwriting staff, specifically Raymond Price, for failing to incorporate effective "cheer lines" into his drafts. To rectify this, Nixon considers hiring a specialized "speech doctor" to refine his rhetoric and increase the persuasive impact of his public messaging.

Economic policySpeechwritingDomestic policyWelfare reformPublic relationsH. R. Haldeman
AudioNARA Description

On September 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:33 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 278-4

Date: September 9, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:20 pm and 1:33 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     The President's September 9, 1971 economic policy speech

          -Reaction
               -Cabinet members

     John B. Connally
          -Possible reaction

     Domestic issues speech
         -Revenue sharing
         -Government reorganization
         -Welfare reform
         -Economy
         -The President's draft
               -First paragraph
               -Speechwriters
                     -Role
                     -Franklin D. Roosevelt
                     -Speech doctor
                     -The President's role
               -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
               -William L. Safire
               -Speechwriters
                     -Cheer lines
                     -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
                           -New York
                     -Revisions
                     -The President's revisions
                           -Welfare references
         -Price
               -Revisions
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Now, let me know if any of you got any capture reactions.
I particularly, before I see Connor, he must have looked pretty good.
I looked at him at times.
Just saying, revenue sharing, government reorganization, welfare reform, economic.
Now this session, as I said, I already wrote all of it.
If you look at that first part, you can see what you really need.
I'm just thinking, Roosevelt had, basically, what he called a speech doctrine.
Actually, the experts in lecture and comparison, he wrote a riot of cheer lines.
And at the present time, I do that.
You see, and I shouldn't have to.
I shouldn't do that.
That's something that we don't have.
But you see, Ray doesn't have that ability.
You would agree with me now.
And in South Park, he says you should kill people.
But the cheer lines are so essential.
Like the way you get a cheer line from those, I said, let us be proud of that.
Let us do the, well, that makes me cheer.
And you've got to say it that way.
I wonder if we do the year follow-up to New York to have a cheer line speech doctor.
I don't want a guy who won't quite be able to speak.
But a guy who basically can continue to speak and say, all right, this is good material.
Who's got it?
Like the way I took that.
If you'll read the text of what we had on welfare, where I said, I rewrote that, let us get rid of the system that makes it more profitable for a man to go on welfare than to go to work.
But I mean, the way that we addressed it previously, it was part of a long sentence.
You know, just driving in.
But no law, see?
So Ray did a terrible job writing this monument.
I'm sure he won't be fighting back.
But there we go.
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