Posted on 02/19/2024 8:41:07 AM PST by MtnClimber
A presidential candidate’s running mate is usually chosen to “balance” the ticket to shore up electoral weaknesses. But in former President Donald Trump’s case, his vice presidential pick is likely to receive added scrutiny due to his multitude of legal problems. That’s why this month I&I/TIPP asked U.S. voters: Who should Trump’s vice presidential running mate be?
To find out who’s potentially strongest as a vice presidential candidate, I&I/TIPP’s national online poll, taken by 587 registered Republican primary voters from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, asked two questions: “If Trump wins the Republican nomination, who would be your top choice for his Vice President?” and, “If Trump wins the Republican nomination, who would be your second choice for his Vice President?”
The names came from a long list of recent media and campaign mentions of potential VP candidates (for the full list, see chart with this story). It also includes those who challenged Trump in the primaries, but subsequently dropped out, and one candidate still in the race.
Out of 14 possible names for the question about the “top choice” for vice president, only three reach double-digits: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (16%), entrepreneur, author and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (14%), and former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (11%).
All the rest get single-digit support, from South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (8%) to Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (1%). But one remaining name still looms large: “Not sure,” which takes 20% of the vote, more than any individual candidate received. So people are still making up their minds.
The followup question, about the “second choice” for veep, shakes things up a bit, with DeSantis at 19%, Haley and Scott both at 12%, and former Housing Secretary and renowned medical doctor Ben Carson in fourth at 10%. All the rest, from Ramaswamy (7%) down to Florida Rep. Byron Daniels (2%) remain in single digits.
So which vice presidential candidate would have the most electoral clout? To determine this, I&I/TIPP then added up the individual scores for each question to see who was named by the most potential voters.
It wasn’t very close. DeSantis received 34% of the total votes cast on both questions, compared to 24% for Haley, 21% for Ramaswamy, 19% for Scott, 17% for Carson, 12% for TV personality and commentator Tucker Carlson and 10% for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
All the rest received 7% or less of the total, from former Arkansas governor and political commentator Sarah Huckabee Sanders and former National Security Adviser Gen. Mike Flynn down to Daniels at 3%.
Why focus on this so early in the game, when a vice presidential selection is usually not made until the summer before an election?
The answer, of course, it that Trump is hardly a typical candidate. To begin with, fair or not, he’s a highly divisive figure in American politics, within both parties.
But more importantly, with four major indictments against him in the last two years whose outcomes are still unclear, it’s not at all certain that even with his huge lead in the polls Trump can emerge from the process unscathed.
No former president in U.S. history has faced such a barrage of litigation, in Trump’s case suspiciously filed as he geared up to run for a second term....
Suspiciously.
Devin Nunez is a trusted confidant of Trump had has proven himself to be a real fighter. I think he would be an outstanding choice.
Not sure if he can afford the pay cut.
“Most female candidates emote too much. Not enough logic in decisions.”
#########################
The problem is, half of the voters are women. Selecting a woman as VP nominee could mean several % points, esp in the swing states.
Like it or not, that is the reality in today’s political environment.
JD Vance. Or Kid Rock...
And Trump may do something to throw the communists into catatonic shock. He may pick Tusli, or RFK jr, or someone else of that ilk and go for the gigantic middle.
This election is unpredictable. And he has already said he does not think the veep really matters for votes. That it’s just a 3 day story in the news.
I understand your thinking and would consider the same, but I couldn’t in good conscience abstain from voting for Trump when the other option is the current expedited path toward Leftist totalitarianism.
In terms of combining the criteria of:
Helping the ticket in 2024
Loyalty to Trump/MAGA
Energy
Ideology
Executive experience
Future electability
If I had to choose today, I’m leaning toward Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Flame away !!!
Mike Pompeo.
Top graduate of West Point, obviously a veteran, former head of CIA and Secretary of State, extremely bright, very patriotic and LOYAL TO TRUMP.
He’s also young enough to have 8 years after Trump leaves in 2029, and with 12 years they can really remake the Fed.gov (including the federal courts).
I used to think this of DeSantis, but he revealed himself to be both very petty and to have all of the charisma of a rock...so, PASS. HARD PASS on Nikki Haley. Ramiswammy has no executive experience and no foreign policy experience, so let him be in the Cabinet to season him (and to test him). All of the rest...meh!
Mike Pompeo.
I don’t see Trump picking Haley. She is funded by leftists and would probably be a threat to sabotage Trump.
= = =
Wait till her speech about “The Yellow School Bus.”
That will make or break her VP chances.
Not Sure is dog whistle for Biden.
“Instead: CLARENCE THOMAS”
Niiiiiice!
That’s what one would call “out-of-the-box thinking.
Gets a solid conservative Thought Counselor to help him-
Gets to pick a replacement for the Britest Lite on the court.
Thomas gets life long Secret Service protection, if he wants it.
Much better than Florida Man, the two NBCs, or a squish gal like Noem or HuckSand.
A very groovy future ticket could be Gaetz and Stefanik.
Like it of not, that is the unintended consequence of the 19th Amendment.
ME: “My choice is Greg Abbott.”
Mr. YABBUT: “Yeah but: we need him as TX gov.”
ME: “He’s from a hugely important state that Trump doesn’t live in.”
Mr. YABBUT: “Yeah but: he’s not a woman.”
ME: “He checks the handicap box, though; and the border/illegal invasion is finally the #1 issue in America.”
Mr. YABBUT: “Yeah but: how you gonna fill Abbott’s shoes in TX?”
ME: “Run Cornyn for Gov; replace him with Myra Flores in the Senate”.
Mr. YABBUT: “Yeah but: Cornyn has been unreliable.”
ME: “He has proved he can wil statewide office in TX; plus, you can’t always get what you want.”
What about Sanders...
Doesn’t seem to fit her...
Another case for a governor is they will arrive in DC with an entourage of loyalists staff and won’t have to get staff from the deep state...
Like Trump did...
Omarosa to my knowledge is free. Imagine the strength of a black female on the ticket.....
He already picked her. He made her ambassador to the United Nations when he was president.
The office of VP would be a political step down for the majority of people who are in political office/running for political office. The best VP picks should be towards people who aren’t in any major political office, but they should be. These individuals would be people who would be successful in getting Donald Trump, both, more support and more votes than he would get without their help, during the ‘24 November general election. Two of the best names from such a list are: Lee Zeldin from New York and Harmeet Dhillon from California. Both of these people should be somewhere within a Trump administration, anyways. This is a missed opportunity that, probably, won’t happen.
Loyalty and the ability to work both congress and the media are important.
AND MOST VOTERS? Don’t know their A_ _ from a hole in the ground. Let’s be honest!!
Unfortunately, including most folks I know.
If you know about Clarence Thomas, then I don’t think he’d have any interest in that position at all. And he doesn’t really like talking that much.
He’s probably the oldest on the list, but Ben Carson would be my first choice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
