1966 CA-Gov: Nixon tries again

[Sir Mohamed]

If Nixon decided he justed needed another win under his belt for running for the WH again and entered the 1966 CA gov race for a rematch with Gov. Pat Brown, how do you see the November election turn out? We're assuming he won the GOP primary and Reagan didn't seek the position that year.

[Alben Barkley]

I think he would have been seen as a desperate has-been and repeat loser, especially after his “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore” press conference the last time he lost, and been far less likely to beat Pat Brown than Reagan.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

He MAY have run, but I don't think he'd have made the race.  If he had run in 1966 his intentions for 1968 would have been a major issue.  1966 was a very good Republican year, but Nixon's eyes were on the Presidency, and his plan was to rack up IOUs from other Republicans of all stripes by campaigning for them. 

That's one of the positive things Nixon did in 1964 and 1966.  He loyally campaigned for Goldwater when his primary contenders (save Reagan) for 1968 were sitting the race out.  In 1966 Nixon actively campaigned for Republicans all over America and it was a BIG Republican year which Nixon clearly helped to bring about.

Nixon never really wanted to be Governor of CA and it showed. 

[Podgy the Bear]

He had moved to New York after the 1962 defeat and was really out of the California scene by 1966.  It turned out to be a good move for him and family--made plenty of money in his law practice and book writing and was a regular on several talk shows--mostly in New York at that time.

[Sir Mohamed]

He had moved to New York after the 1962 defeat and was really out of the California scene by 1966.  It turned out to be a good move for him and family--made plenty of money in his law practice and book writing and was a regular on several talk shows--mostly in New York at that time.

He did a lot of campaigning for GOP congressional candidates in the 1966 midterms, in which they picked up 37 seats after 1964 landslide defeat. That played some role for Nixon to win the nomination 4 prez again in 1968.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

1966 was good for Republicans at the gubernatorial level, but Nixon's 1962 loss and his reaction to it would've been an issue. Voters also tend not to change their mind in rematches.

On the other hand, Pat Brown lost pretty badly...are we supposed to believe that Nixon being the nominee instead of Reagan shifts almost a million votes? Granted, the electorate was more persuadable back then.