Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 389 › Conversation 389-023
Nixon, Colson & Ziegler on 1972 Presidential Election and George McGovern
Saturday, November 4, 1972 · 12:40 PM–1:15 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 45 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Charles Colson and later Ronald Ziegler to coordinate campaign strategy in the final days before the 1972 election. They discussed the administration's favorable polling, the necessity of countering negative press coverage, and strategies for managing the Vietnam negotiations and the Watergate scandal's political fallout. The participants focused on maintaining momentum, addressing Democratic candidate George McGovern's campaign, and ensuring that administration officials and surrogates maintained a unified, disciplined public message.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On November 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:40 pm to 1:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 389-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 389-23
Date: November 4, 1972
Time: 12:40 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 campaign
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s statement
-Revision of draft
-Importance
-News coverage
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-George S. McGovern
-Front page coverage
-Photographs
-Los Angeles Times
-Television [TV] appearance
-Conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Physical appearance
-McGovern
-Public sympathy
-Credibility
-Problems
-Statements
-Mistakes
-Permissiveness
-Supporters
-Radicalism
-The President’s lead
-Massachusetts
-Abortion issue
-John F. Becker
-39-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-The President’s rallies
-Rhode Island
-Italian-Americans
-Irish-Americans
-Hardhats
-Congressional candidates
-John H. Chafee
-Dewey F. Bartlett
-Oklahoma
-Rhode Island
-New Mexico
-North Carolina
-Maine
-Michigan
-Polls
-Democrats
-Claiborne Pell
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-The President’s margin
-Issues
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Democrats
-Massachusetts
-Texas
-States
-Herbert G. Klein
-Support for the President
-The President’s supporters
-Response to McGovern’s criticisms
-Hawaii
-The President’s chances
-Areas of weakness
-California
-Oregon
-Washington, DC
-Polls
-Louis P. Harris
-The President’s lead
-Figures
-Chicago
-40-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-The President’s trip
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-North Vietnamese posture
-1972 election
-McGovern
-The President’s posture
-Firmness
-1972 election
-Military action
-Wire service story
-Antiaircraft fire
-North and South Vietnam
-Radio report
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman’s view
-Henry A. Kissinger line
-October 26, 1972 press conference
-William P. Rogers
-Pre- and post-October 8, 1972 positions of North Vietnam
-The President’s May 8, 1972 proposals
-Cease-fire
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Coalition government
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
1972 campaign
-Polls
-Vietnam agreement
-Commercials
-Hardhat constituency
-Busing
-McGovern statement
-41-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-Flyers
-Distribution
-Organization
-George C. Wallace
-Supporters
-Conversation with Colson
-Credibility as a candidate
-Albert E. Sindlinger poll
-Undecided vote
-Portion for McGovern
-Harris poll
-Accuracy
-Polls
-McGovern
-House of Representatives
-Candidates
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-Quality
-Herbert F. DeSimone
-Blacks
-Donald F. Rodgers
-Los Angeles Times
-California
-Congress
-Antilabor legislation
-Senate
-Democratic Party
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Schedule
-Miami
-Association of American Medical Colleges
-Ohio
-Maine
-Connecticut
-New Jersey
-Outlook
-New York
-Outlook
-New Jersey
-42-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-Connecticut
-Support for the President
-Frank L. Rizzo
-Influence in Philadelphia
-Western Union
-McGovern
-Publicity
-Problems
-Enthusiasm
-News media
-New York Times
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Howard K. Smith
-Networks
-Dan Rather
-James J. Kilpatrick, Jr.
-News summary item
-Watergate references
-Reasons
-Use by enemies
-The President’s politics
-Liberalism
-Right wing
-Left wing
-Conservatism
-William F. Buckley, Jr. [?]
-Principles
-Issues
-Vietnam
-Welfare
-Amnesty
-Busing
-Amnesty issue
-North Carolina
-Advantages for the President
-Blue collar workers
Ziegler entered at 1:09 pm.
-43-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-Agnew
-Call to Ziegler
-Statement
-Revisions
-Harassment
-Hard work
-1956 election
-Vice President
-Statement
-CBS
Ziegler left at 1:12 pm.
-McGovern
-Organized labor
-Opposition
-Polls
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Public relations [PR]
-Staff complaints
-Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Chairmanship
-Timing
-1972 election
-Press relations
-Donald H. Segretti
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Advance work
-Flashiness
-Mercedes
-Exceeding authority
-Attack on Democratic campaign and Washington Post
-Lack of coverup
-Attack on Washington Post
-Partisanship
-44-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 389-23 (cont’d)
-McGovern
-Burglars
-Capture and punishment
-Administration investigation of Watergate
-Attempt to influence electorate
-Public interest
-Duration
-John S. (“Jack”) Knight
-Joe [last name unknown]
-Gabriel Hauge
-Charles H. Percy
-James J. Kilpatrick
-Welfare issue
-Other issues
-Republicans
-Necessity for dramatic action
Colson left at 1:15 pm.
UAlso recorded on November 4, 1972
- 033-033 11:04 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry Hibbard talked on the telephone from 11:04 am to 11:06 am.
- 389-019 11:15 AM · 55 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 12:25 pm.
- 033-034 11:45 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:25 pm.
- 389-020 11:45 AM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:25 pm.
- 389-021 11:45 AM · 10 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 11:45 am and 12:25 pm.
- 033-035 12:25 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:25 pm to 12:26 pm.
- 389-022 12:25 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:25 pm to 12:26 pm.
- 389-024 1:15 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:34 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 389-023, November 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/389-023 (accessed October 11, 2026).