Nixon Fourth Party as Democrat Vote Splitter August 9 1971

The following is a transcript of a conversation that can be found on this audio file:
http://nixontapeaudio.org/chron2/rmn_e557a.mp3

Conversation is found at start point 1:00:00, and goes to 1:02:55.

A clip of this conversation, with audio accompanied by transcript, is on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8uVSuQaEBc

Introduction and transcript from Stanley Kutler's Abuse of Power.

AUGUST 9, 1971: THE PRESIDENT, HALDEMAN, AND KISSINGER, 8:55-10:30 A.M., OVAL OFFICE
Nixon enrolls Henry Kissinger in a scheme to get support for Eugene McCarthy to run as a fourth-party candidate.

KISSINGER: [Eugene McCarthy fundraiser] Howard Stein is coming down to have lunch with me this week.

PRESIDENT NIXON: Is he?

KISSINGER: Yeah.

PRESIDENT NIXON: New twist. Put it into him very hard about what rats and how totally irresponsible [Senator Edmund] Muskie is. You can't get away with the pettiness he's puffing, but Muskie—they both—they were total defenders of the policy that the President has been getting them out of. Now they've switched...and therefore, the only man with any character on the Democratic side is [Eugene] McCarthy. Build McCarthy up...Now the story, you see, is that McCarthy may go as a fourth party candidate against anybody except Kennedy. I don't know, I think Teddy's probably blowing it off or something...or he really thinks Teddy would a bit more play his line, and he'd drive them off, and Teddy, I don't know, Stein...

HALDEMAN: Well, he [McCarthy] also knows—you see, the only support he's really got is his own youth crusade. Teddy will knock that right out from under him.

PRESIDENT NIXON: Yeah. His youth crusade. So basically he doesn't figure he'll run. But here's how we would like to have McCarthy in the race. You see, we need McCarthy in the race for a purpose. On the other hand, you should say now you 'ought to do both. Well, we don't need his [Stein's] money. I'm just—we don't really need his money or anything. But—.

HALDEMAN: His money would do us a lot more good if it goes to McCarthy.

PRESIDENT NIXON: But I think McCarthy ought to stay but he must never know that that's why we want him in.

KISSINGER: Yeah.

PRESIDENT NIXON: But I think you could build up the idea that the other charge fit. Isn't it a shame the only man—you can quote [Daniel Patrick] Moynihan—who has the intellectual capability on the Democratic side to be President is McCarthy and isn't it a shame that he really doesn't have a chance and the rest. That he has the courage, whether you agree with Nixon or whether you agree with McCarthy, they're men of character and men who stand up for what they believe in and then you go on with that. But the others are not. They're wobblers.

KISSINGER: Every now and then I have lunch with McCarthy again. He'll leak it to [Washington Post journalist] Mary McGrory.

HALDEMAN: But the key to McCarthy is if Stein will put up the money. McCarthy, from all that we can find out, what McCarthy is looking for is two things: one, campaign financing and the other a personal funder.

KISSINGER: Oh, really?

HALDEMAN: If Stein would give him, you know, a lead into making some money and would underwrite a campaign fund, you know, the basic start of a campaign fund, he would launch his fourth party and go. He'll go for the Democratic nomination. When he doesn't get it, he'll pull out and go for a fourth party effort.

KISSINGER: Maybe I'll just see him again.

HALDEMAN: And a fourth party effort on McCarthy would just be beautiful.

KISSINGER: I'll tell it to Howard Stein, but it also gives some plausibility...when I had lunch with him, he fled immediately to Mary McGrory, and not unfriendly.