All this talk about ‘who will he pick’, but has anyone ever changed their vote because of the running mate a presidential hopeful chose? Folks here in Virginia think that if Obama chooses their governor as his running mate, that will seal the state for him. Really? I would think the VP spot a small potatoe (nyuck, nycuk) compared to all the platforms of the Presidential nominees.
I agree. I think a veep at best is neutral and at worst turns people away.
I do think Lloyd Bentsen helped Dukakis come across as less of a Massachusetts bleeding liberal, but we all know how that came across. He also delivered the killer “you’re no Jack Kennedy” line to Quayle, which is the greatest campaign dis of all time…
…but again, look how it all came out.
I think had John McCain opted to run as a DEM Veep choice, John Kerry would be president today.
I think in a close election, it is one of many factors that everyone claims tipped it one way or the other.
Lieberman almost did.
I think that in a contender’s state, it will influence some of the wishy-washy voters. Something to the effect that it will ‘be good for the state’ or some such.
In 1984 I heard a lot of people saying that Mondale’s choice of Geraldine Ferraro would make them vote for Reagan. Some of them saw it as a stunt, but I heard a bunch of people (not just men either) saying they could never vote for a ticket with a woman on it. This was in Louisiana, and it was 24 years ago, so it was not exactly the most progressive place or time, but I know there were Democrats who voted for Reagan that year just because of Ferraro’s gender.
That is only if you think of it in terms of the candidate you are planing to vote for. Think of it in terms of the guy you don’t want to vote for. Is there anyone he can pick for VP that would change your vote?
McCain/Bloomberg or McCain/Schwarzenegger would get my vote.
sigh
But it just isn’t meant to be.
He didn’t make me change my vote, but I felt less uneasy about Bush in 2000 when he chose an experienced, thoughtful, level-headed statesman like Cheney as his running mate.
Funny how things like that turn out.
Cheney didn’t shift any electoral votes, but I think he had more impact on the overall race than any Veep pick since LBJ for that very reason. Equally true for Colin Powell as the announced Secretary of State. It helped shore up my vote for Bush. I was big for McCain in the primaries. Wrote him a check when I was still in school.
To summarize:
Big McCain supporter. Respected Cheney enough to support Bush, despite reservations. But I was so unimpressed with Gore, I held my nose and voted for Bush.
So, let’s follow it through eight years later.
Cheney was the worst thing about the Bush administration. I regret voting for Bush. I admire Al Gore. I’m supporting Obama over McCain. I’m looking at my blackberry, hoping Obama sends a Text saying he picked an experienced guy I respect like Bayh or Biden so it will calm my fears of his inexperience.
Politics sucks. At least, I still admire Colin Powell. Check back in eight years, though.
Absolutely the VP has changed my opinion on a candidate. For 1988 I voted for Bush in the Primary and then this nice intelligent moderate Republican added a stupid young Theo-con named Quayle. Once this happened, I threw away my vote and voted for Bill the Cat. I remember reading this draft dodger’s bio and watching him in an early interview and determining that he was even worse than Dukakis.
I recall one interview shortly after he got the nomination where he admitted his wife ( Marilyn) was the smarter of the two and all I could think was, “Why the hell isn’t she running then.” His voting record was terrible and again, he was a ‘rich pappa’ draft dodger like our current Idiot in Chief. It was a blatant appeasement of the far right by George Bush and I hated it.
The draft dodging really bothered me and I was in the Navy at the time.
99% of the time, the only way a VP pick affects a campaign is by hurting it. Look at Al Gore - he was widely seen as a solid and credible choice when Clinton picked him. But he didn’t convert undecided voters.
I think a good veep pick has some intangible value, though. Specifically Gore in 1992.
If a smart fit, it enhances the political brand a politician offers.
I’ve been hearing rumblings that Lieberman has been ‘seriously’ courted by McCain. As a fellow nutmegger, I wouldn’t bat an eye at that and change my vote. I like Lieberman and McCain, but I want Obama running the country.
Personally, I hope Obama chooses Bayh.
I guess it depends. There are a few people that Obama could pick that would make me seriously reconsider, but I think I’d still stick with him. However, I don’t think there is anyone that McCain could pick that would make me support him. I am really interested in McCain’s pick though because I think it is still somewhat likely he’ll win, and regardless of whatever propaganda McCain’s doctors can spew, I think odds are pretty good of him keeling over in the next four yeas.
Maybe it’s not about changing the vote, as changing the decision TO vote.
The chance that the choice of VP can encourage more peope to vote rather then sit at home that day seems more plausible.
“Oh lookie - my governor is running for VP, maybe I WILL go vote today.”
Ditto (although perhaps not the same way). I remember thinking after the VP debate how a Lieberman-Gore ticket would be much more appealing (to me) than vice versa. I am still cherishing fond hopes that McCain will pick Joe for the nod.
Which means, of course, that the chance of this happening is approximately 0.
I don’t think Ahnold can run - he is a naturalized citizen.
My wife is waiting to hear who McCain picks as veep before deciding, because McCain is 71 and the chance that the Veep will actually move to the Oval Office is that much higher.
Regards,
Shodan
You’ve probably pointed out to her that a 70 year old Reagan not only survived two full terms but lived another fifteen years after leaving office.
True, but Reagan had no quality of life those last 15 years.
Clinton/Gore was the last team that really seemed to work well together. That bus trip after the 1992 election nailed it for them. They spent so much time together and were effective campaigning together.
Of course McCain has, to say the least, a more eventful health history than the Gipper.
She has also expressed some concern about Obama’s chances of not surviving his term of office (if any), but more from what she feels is a greater risk of assassination for a black guy.
Regards,
Shodan
I know someone who said he voted for Reagan because of Ferarro. He had an anti-feminist thing going and he thought some woman would shoot Mondale to get her into office if her were pres.