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For Goodie Knight, the only way out was up. As a judge, he had been quite successful (only 14 reversals in 7,000 decisions), but soon he began to make political noises. If he had a speaking engagement, he simply adjourned court early. In California, as in many states, there are laws about judges dabbling in politics, and it was not long before Democrats and his fellow judges complained about Knight's political activities. But Goodie knew the letter of the law. "Sure, they prohibited it," he snapped, "but they didn't make it illegal."
Knowing the full value of publicity, Goodie took on a couple of radio shows, including one tearjerker, an airing of personal problems known as "Knight Court" ("It was better than Mr. Anthony"). In 1946 Goodie turned his back on the bench, employed the formidable public-relations firm of Whitaker & Baxter (which taught Earl Warren to smile) and ran for lieutenant governor. Goodie gave the voters a sizzling exhibition of stumping and easily slid past his Democratic opponent on election day. But in Sacramento, he discovered that his job was no more exciting than being a judge. As presiding officer of the state senate, he frequently garbled the parliamentary rules and confused the statesmen. When such mixups occurred, Lieutenant Governor Knight was unabashed. "My parliamentarian says I'm wrong," he would genially admit. "I overrule myself."
When the boredom became intolerable, Goodie cracked jokes from the chair and interrupted debate to address the galleries. "Ladies and gentlemen," he sometimes boomed with the aplomb of a circus ringmaster, "I want you to know that just because your able and distinguished Senators down here are sitting with their feet on their desks, reading newspapers, it does not mean they do not know what is going on." "They Also Serve . . ." Such horseplay earned Goodie his reputation as a jester. But the job of heir-apparent to the governor was almost too much for his patience. Once, in a mood of despair, he told Republican Assemblyman Tom Caldecott: "I get up every morning, go out on the front porch, unfold the paper, look at the biggest headline and fold it up again. The only news a lieutenant governor of California could possibly be interested in would be that headline." Goodie and Warren got along tolerably, but Knight was never a real member of the Warren team. On a few issues, e.g., Warren's state health-insurance program and F.E.P.C., Knight openly differed with his chief, but the two were closer politically than many Californians suspected.