Jan. 31, 1964 - Governor Edmund Brown of California said today that Richard M. Nixon would be the leading Republican Presidential hopeful in 1964 if he had not publicly made one “horrible mistake.” Mr. Nixon’s “horrible mistake,” the Governor said, was castigating the press on television after his defeat in the California gubernatorial election of 1962 (pictured). Asked if he thought the former Vice President was “lurking in the wings, hoping to be chosen,” Governor Brown said, “Beyond a doubt.” Mr. Brown reaffirmed that he would accept the Democratic nomination for Vice President, but he said he is not an active candidate for it. He said he thought Governor Rockefeller of New York “did himself a great deal of good” in his three campaigning in California. Mr. Rockefeller is a candidate in the California Presidential primary on June 2.
