Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 378 › Conversation 378-015
Nixon & Colson on Vietnam War and 1972 Election
Tuesday, October 31, 1972 · 4:10 PM–5:34 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 14 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson met to discuss campaign strategy and public relations efforts leading up to the 1972 election, specifically focusing on the influence of Vietnam peace negotiations on voter sentiment. The two evaluated recent polling data, including insights from Albert Sindlinger and George Gallup, while coordinating messaging for the President's upcoming national address. Additionally, they reviewed antagonistic media coverage from the Washington Post and strategized how to handle persistent political attacks regarding the Watergate scandal and campaign corruption.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On October 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:10 pm to 5:34 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 378-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 378-15/376-1
Date: October 31, 1972
Time: 4:10 pm - 5:34 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
Effect of Vietnam on negotiations
-Polls
-Stock market
-George H. Gallup
-Louis P. Harris
-Hanoi’s recent statement
-The President's conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
-Public relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s recent press conference
(rev. Nov-03)
-Tone
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s recent statement
-Tone
-Proper kind of peace
-Deadline
-Compared to 1968
-South Vietnamese self-determination
-Public perception
-Possible disappointment, cynicism
-The president’s forthcoming statements
-Address to the nation, “Look to the Future”,
November 2, 1972
-Campaign visits
-Nature of peace settlement
-Timing of agreement
-1972 election
-Ronald Ziegler's briefing
-Rockefeller's press conference
-Watergate
-Question and answer [Q&A] session
-George S. McGovern
-Democratic National Committee [DNC]
-Statement on renegotiation of settlement
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 16s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Post-1972 election strategy for dealing with the press
-Treatment of Washington Post
-Washington Post attacks on the President
-Nature of attacks
-Comparison with the New York Times
(rev. Nov-03)
-Retractions
-Anthony Lewis column
-John B. Connally
-Washington Post activities
-Anti-bugging sweep
-Investigating firm
-Reasons
-Katharine L. Graham
-Investigating firm
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
-Colson’s view
-Speech on freedom of the press
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 5s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Polls
-Issues
-Albert E. Sindlinger’s view
-Corruption
-Vietnam
-Effect
-Democrats
-McGovern position
-Voter’s preference
-Sindlinger’s view
-Colson’s recent conversation with Sindlinger
-Landslide
-National referendum
-The President’s schedule
-Consensus of opinion
-Corruption, Vietnam
(rev. Nov-03)
-Publication
-Reason for results
-Corruption
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 39s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Polls
-Issues
-Corruption
-Richard M. Scammon's analysis
-Strategy
-McGovern
-Food prices
-Big business
-Washington, DC interest
-Voter’s preference
-Sindlinger’s view
-Connally
-Forthcoming appearance on Today Show
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Clark MacGregor
-Robert J. Dole
-Voter’s meaning
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 55s ]
(rev. Nov-03)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
[This recording was cut off at an unknown time after 4:10 pm.]
[An unknown portion of this conversation was not recorded while the tape was being changed]Also recorded on October 31, 1972
- 810-013 2:44 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 810-014 2:44 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 810-015 2:52 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:52 pm to 3:23 pm.
- 810-016 3:23 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 3:25 pm.
- 810-017 3:25 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:25 pm to 4:08 pm.
- 376-001 4:10 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 5:34 pm.
- 378-014 4:10 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:10 pm.
- 810-018 4:10 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 4:10 pm on October 31, 1972 and 3:01 pm on November 1, 1972.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 378-015, October 31, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/378-015 (accessed October 5, 2026).