Post-Watergate and amidst Americans’ growing skepticism of the government, journalist Todd Purdum floated the idea of Jerry Brown running for governor.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Politically, things had been more in the Republican's corner.
You know, California had had a Republican governor and administration for eight years, but then came Watergate.
(upbeat music) - It's after Watergate, Nixon resigns.
Ford gives him a pardon.
So you have a lot of skepticism about the integrity of government and compounded, of course by the protracted Vietnam war and the failure and the frustration and the divisions that the Vietnam War created.
So there had to be more modesty I would even say humility on the part of leadership because the currency of leaders was very devalued.
- I started talking to Jerry a little bit about thinking of running for governor in '74 and he wasn't averse to the idea, but he wasn't anxious.
(upbeat music)