Nixon becomes California Governor....

Suppose Nixon had won the California governor's race in 1962; would he still be interested in the presidency in 1968?

This would change Ronald Reagan's future no doubt....
 
I could see another attempt for the presidency in '68; it would only buttress his case with real executive experience. Perhaps Ronald Reagan might opt for a Senate seat instead of the governorship?

Seems to me that the unspoken issue is what might a successful run for the governorship butterfly away in terms of Nixon's psychological makeup: recall that "...won't have Nixon to kick around..." press conference in 1962. Now, would his paranoia not be as strong? And if not, would we butterfly away Watergate, yielding a full two term Nixon presidency? In turn, would that obviate Carter, and thus by extension, a Reagan presidency?
 
IOTL, Senator Clair Engle died in 1964 (same year the seat was up for election) from brain cancer. After he died, Governor Pat Brown appointed Pierre Salinger to the Senate seat.

Salinger had been press secretary for JFK and LBJ. He moved to California to run for the Senate and lost that November to George Murphy.

With Nixon as Governor, Salinger will not move to California.
 
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