President Nixon met with Charles Colson and Patrick Buchanan to discuss electoral strategy and campaign messaging for the 1972 election. They focused on building a coalition among working-class voters by emphasizing shared values and the importance of work, while simultaneously crafting efforts to distance Democratic opponent George McGovern from radical anti-war demonstrators. Additionally, the participants touched on upcoming judicial appointments and the political management of the Watergate scandal as a campaign issue.
On September 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Patrick J. Buchanan, and W. Richard Howard met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:16 pm to 6:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 356-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 356-15
Date: September 25, 1972
Time: 5:16 pm - 6:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles Colson and Patrick J. Buchanan.
Greetings
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 11m 57s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Administration's accomplishments
-Supreme Court appointments
-Vietnam issue
-Poll
-The President’s speeches
-Reports received
-National Security Council [NSC] staff
-Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
(rev. Oct-06)
-National attitude
-Blacks
-Mexicans
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 42s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Appointments
-Ethnics
-Blacks, Jews
-Kissinger and Herbert Stein on the President's staff
-Italians and Irish
-William H. Mulligan
-Fordham University
-Supreme Court
-Supreme Court
-The President’s conversation with Maurice H. Stans [?]
-Catholics
-Italians
-Benjamin Cardozo
-Robert J. Brown
-Cleveland Browns
-Jim Brown
-Upper middle class
-Appeal to voter blocs
-Blacks, Jews
-Republican efforts
-Thomas W. ("Teddy") Gleason
-White Anglo-Saxon Protestants [WASPs]
-Domestic economic policies
-Buchanan’s view
(rev. Oct-06)
-Working class
-Middle class
-Parochial school aid
-Property tax as issue
The President as a speaker
-Work ethic appeal
-The President’s speech at Rio Grande, Texas, September 22, 1972
-The President’s Labor Day speech
-Effect
-Washington Post, Washington Star
-Story about fireman
-Press relations
-Qualities
-Appeal to labor, working people
-Gleason
-Roger M. Blough
-Education
-Speaking ability
-Working class
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 58s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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George S. McGovern's campaign practices
-Supporters and demonstration
-San Francisco
-White House public relations
-Robert J. Dole
-Clark MacGregor
(rev. Oct-06)
-George C. Wallace assassination attempt
-McGovern's association with demonstrators
-White House public relations
-Location of demonstrations
-Los Angeles
-San Francisco
Colson talked with W. Richard Howard at an unknown time between 5:16 pm and 6:10 pm.
[Conversation No. 356-15A]
[See Conversation No. 30-24]
[End of telephone conversation]
Campaign practices
-Demonstrators
-Democratic National Convention
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 24s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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Watergate as a campaign issue
-The President's involvement
-Understanding of the situation by the public
-Cubans
-John W. Dean, III
-Handling
-McGovern
-Unknown person
-Lawrence F. (“Larry”) O'Brien, Jr.
(rev. Oct-06)
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] involvement
-Cloak and dagger activities
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 13m 56s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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Colson and Buchanan left at 6:10 pm.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.