How Good Is Goodie?

A major shooting scrape in the continuing California political feud between Vice President Richard Nixon and Governor Goodwin J. Knight came on Aug. 8, 1954, in their fight for control of the Republican State Central Committee. Knight won hands down, installing his men both as chairman and vice chairman, largely because many of the committee members are appointed by state legislators who are notoriously sensitive to the governor's patronage and his veto power over their pet bills. Since then, it has been generally taken for granted that "Goodie" Knight could do much as he liked with the State Central Committee, and especially that he would have its overwhelming support in a contest with Nixon, for President or anything else. Last week, however, a survey taken by the Los Angeles Mirror-News brought home an old lesson: nothing can be taken for granted in California politics.

Querying the 600 members of the Republican State Central Committee, the Mirror-News received answers from more than 200. Of them, 79% assumed that President Eisenhower would not be a candidate. Asked to name their personal choices other than Ike, 50.5% endorsed Dick Nixon. After Nixon came Senator William Knowland, with 19.6% and Chief Justice Earl Warren with 16%. Goodie Knight stood a forlorn fourth with 6%. Forty-one percent of the committee members foresaw a primary fight next year between delegations pledged to Nixon and Knight. As between those delegations, 61.7% said they would favor Nixon's, only 22% said they would prefer Knight's.

Reading the poll, Goodie Knight announced in New York, where he was on a junket, that for President he would support 1) President Eisenhower if he decided to run again, 2) himself, as favorite-son candidate, if he does not, 3) Dick Nixon if Nixon wins Ike's nod and the G.O.P. nomination.

The Mirror-News also canvassed members of the Democratic State Central Committee and again received more than 200 answers. Of these Democrats, 82% favored Adlai Stevenson for their party's nomination, 9% were for Estes Kefauver and 4% for Averell Harriman. Half expected a California primary fight between Stevenson and Kefauver, and between such slates, 72% were for Stevenson, only 12% for Kefauver.

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