Lead: In 1962, Richard Nixon nearly aborted his political comeback. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: After losing to John Kennedy in 1960 Richard Nixon ran for Governor of California. He did not want the job, Pat Nixon did not want him to run, but his supporters were clambering and he loved politics like air and water. The campaign had no high point. It was characterized by smear, innuendo, charge and counter charge on both sides. He ran against a dull but popular incumbent, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, and from the beginning Nixon faced two serious questions, neither of which he answered very well. First, that he was simply using California as a steppingstone to run for the White House in 1964. In fact, he was not. He knew running against the popular incumbent Jack Kennedy would be political suicide, but his denials were unimpressive. Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [5.43 KB] Share
