Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 318 › Conversation 318-022

Nixon & Dent on 50-state strategy and Electoral politics

Wednesday, February 2, 1972 · 2:14 PM–2:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Dent, Harry S.Conversation318-022 on Tape 318 (tape position 01:54:57–02:01:38)StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 2:14 PMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 2:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 318-022 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417185703 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Harry Dent discuss the political reception of various governors and party figures following recent meetings, specifically focusing on the administration’s strategy for the upcoming election cycle. They evaluate the performance of political allies like Peterson, Kane, and Rockefeller while emphasizing the importance of a 50-state campaign strategy to maintain influence across diverse regions. The conversation also touches on sensitive outreach efforts to minority groups in the South and the potential political threat posed by candidates like John Lindsay.

  • 50-state strategy
  • Electoral politics
  • Republican party outreach
  • Campaign strategy
  • Political maneuvering

Audio

Download MP3 · 14.5 MB

NARA Description

On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Harry S. Dent met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:14 pm to 2:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 318-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 318-22

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: 2:14 pm - 2:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Harry S. Dent.

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/30/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[318-022-w001]
[Duration: 1m 14s]

[See Conversation No. 020-029-w001]
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 09/30/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[318-022-w002]
[Duration: 2m 40s]

[See Conversation No. 020-029-w002]

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 39% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Hello, Harry?
How are you, how are the governor's temperatures after the day?
Do they feel pretty good?
Well, they didn't all get to talk, but I, of course, got a good chance to talk to both Peterson and Kane, and that's when all of them all were sitting at the table.
And I think having the big boys talk that way, they don't like to hear it.
And they did well.
They did a Rockefeller break.
I frankly, I don't know why Holton always has to bring up that thing about his kid.
But I guess that's the thing.
But wasn't that Rockefeller's surprise?
He was all up with it.
Well, you've been doing a fine job.
I want to tell you, you did a very good job.
tell them what your reason is, tell them whether this is a CRA or something, you know.
We're going to try to get agonists who want to hear it.
You might, you might, uh, I, uh, I was sitting with Mitchell at the time, but you might call the vice president and tell him, you know, I was chatting, and I said, you'll hear from other sources that you've been out of, and you can tell them about it, and, you know, do it.
They really got the cold cock.
Good.
Sure.
Of course, well, I knew they had that at night, and I knew that there wasn't any night to have those other fellows there.
And also, I didn't want to get too darn partisan with the cops there, you know, too much there.
So it turned out it was mine.
But I think one thing that I did there that I think is very important to leave that around is that when I, which gave me an opportunity to say, well, we could do a 50-state strategy, you know.
Now, you know very well what it will be.
But on the other hand, it's good for the guy on Massachusetts, Michigan, to figure that we're not forgetting those guys that he wants to try.
I don't think, well, I could forget, but what did you say?
All right, Mark.
Well, we started praying and ended up playing.
Right?
Well, that's a good group of people.
There's a fine, long line of people.
I had to get out of the Christian context.
I knew a Jew on the program.
You know, this is our first speaker from Florida.
This is a Christian country, which I hated before we had a voice.
You, incidentally, did not disapprove of my wanting to do that Negro thing with you.
In fact, they tell me that, well, that's why I say this to you, because Holloman was telling me that you were the one that felt that, particularly in the South, we could break under the Negro law, right?
Do you have to tell me you're good?
Well, were you there for the background?
I'm sorry.
It makes him a big man, which he deserves.
How's that?
What's gonna, what's gonna win for him?
And who's, uh...
Muscle.
Yeah.
Hungry campaign.
What about Jackson?
How about Jackson?
Yeah, I know that.
Good man.
He's the best.
How about Lindsay?
Unless he goes on TV, he could cut into the mustard plant, couldn't he?
All the way.
All the way.
Okay.
All right, Harry.
Well, thanks for your good work.
If you don't hear, we know you do well.
Okay.
Bye.

Also recorded on February 2, 1972

  • 318-018 2:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:06 pm and 2:09 pm.
  • 020-027 2:09 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 2:09 pm to 2:13 pm.
  • 318-019 2:09 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:09 pm.
  • 318-020 2:09 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:09 pm to 2:13 pm.
  • 020-028 2:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 2:14 pm.
  • 318-021 2:13 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:13 pm and 2:14 pm.
  • 020-029 2:14 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry S. Dent talked on the telephone from 2:14 pm to 2:20 pm.
  • 318-023 2:21 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:21 pm to 2:50 pm.

All 75 conversations from February 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 318-022, February 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417185703). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/318-022 (accessed November 2, 2026).