California: Itchy Feet

At 64, California’s former (1953-59) Republican Governor Goodwin Jess Knight has most of the things that make men content: a handsome wife, a pleasant home in Los Angeles, robust good health, and a comfortable income that includes an annual $16,000 state pension and an $850-a-week job as a television commentator. But Goodie Knight is restless: he wants to be Governor again.

Last week, after announcing at a news conference that he plans to run for Governor next year, Goodie took to the road in his air-conditioned Cadillac, drove some 50 miles from Los Angeles to the sleepy town of San Clemente. Pulling up to the town’s community center, where a Republican women’s federation waited to hear him, Goodie turned for a moment to his wife Virginia, who had accompanied him. “Honey.” he asked, “why don’t I just take the salary and the pension and forget about all this?” Without pausing, he continued: “I’ll tell you why. In two days I’d have itchy feet again. I can’t keep out of it. I love this state and I loved being Governor, and I’m going to make another push for it.” Said Virginia Knight, with an understanding smile: “What’s that song? It’s better the second time around?”

At least one prominent California Republican would violently disagree with Virginia: to Richard Nixon, Goodie’s gubernatorial candidacy could only come as a Knightmare. Under relentless pressure to run for Governor against Democratic Incumbent “Pat” Brown as a way to keep alive his 1964 presidential chances, Nixon had hoped to run uncontested in the Republican primary. Knight’s announcement shattered that hope—and although he often acts like a clown, Goodie is a formidable California campaigner. As he himself mused last week: “I speak Spanish, and of course we have a large Spanish population. I have a real feeling for the Jewish people. I have always championed Negroes. I’ve heard from a lot of these people, from thousands of people up and down the state—merchants, workingmen. professional men, teachers, women and men in every walk of life. They say they want me to run for Governor.”

Dick Nixon, still withholding any formal announcement of his own plans, reacted blandly to Knight’s candidacy: “I think Mr. Knight had a perfect right to announce his candidacy.” But for Nixon, the prospects were nonetheless distressing: even if he were to beat Goodie Knight in the Republican gubernatorial primary, the bitter G.O.P. split might well ensure Governor Brown’s reelection. And Goodie seemed to be itching to cause just such a split. “If Dick gets into it,” he said last week, “we’re going to have a terrible fight, a really terrible fight. I’m in, and I’m not getting out.”