Nixon wanted people to protest him and Graham in 72 race

I'm half-listening to this program about Watergate.

They just played a tape of Weiker questioning Bob Halderman about a memo which stated that an advance man predicted 200 protestors at an event at which Nixon and Billy Graham were appearing. Halderman had noted in pencil "good" next to two statements about protests.

Not really paying attention, so I'm not sure why this is relevant to anything in the program. However, unless I'm really off base here, I think it was because Nixon thougth Republicans would be disgusted by violent protests at an event at which a minister was appearing. They probably thought it would discredit the protests.

Like I said though, I'm not really paying attention.

there had been violent rioting going on for years in cities across America, massive protests against the Vietnam War -- 200 protestors must've sounded like a spring walk through a dewy, sun-dappled field of daisies.

...the media would use them to discredit the message in addition to the messengers. My evidence: Seatle WTO protests.

I think they'd love to have violent protests in NY during the convention.

Back then it was called 'the Establishment'. And of course the violence was used to discredit the message. And the next day there would be another riot, or an assasination, the number of troops dying in combat every day was much greater than now, growing up male meant living in fear of the day you would be drafted and sent off to kill and die. Racism was orders of magnitude more blatant accepted and violent.

Who knows, if we don't win next year we may see a return to times like that.

Violent protests in NY would be used by the Republicans.

n/t