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....
Surprised to see birdbrain on the list at all.
Happy to see, at least for now, rational folks have forgotten about the radical democrat Gabbard. She was on every previous poll, which I never understood.
Mental masturbatation
Mike Pompeo.
NO to Nikki for ANY office!!!!
Almost identical no on mtg love vr and bd
I agree with you. I don’t think Trump will pick either DeSantis or Haley.
“Trump has shown a less than spectacular ability to choose his staffers...”
It certainly seems that way but I think PDJT went into the job thinking like an employer - I’m paying you for your work therefore you owe me at least enough loyalty to do a good job.
Of course just about every FedGov employee thinks their salary comes from an unlimited pot of gold and that has nothing to do with doing a good job or being loyal to anyone.
Next Jan PDJT needs to issue an EO firing each and every FedGov employee that was hired by the Obama admin or the OBiden admin - clean house. Then each department can hire up to 70% of the current levels. Budgets will be cut accordingly when next the budgets are submitted.
Can’t hire folks who don’t want the job.
And frankly, why would anyone successful in the private sector, want to give that up to work for the Feral Government?
Really out of the box suggestion: Ted Nugent
...not in a million years! Abbott is a Bushie/Globalist and stands for which way the wind is blowing. Useless and has bad advisors.... ymmv
trump does not want a VP who will be wishing he dies...
look for trump to pick... Greg Abbott of texas.
he will be the real border czar.
then ken paxton...
I know of another governor who is term-limited, leads a large state, is active on the border problem and many other issues, on the right side, turned a purple state red, and is young.
He’ll wind up with some RINO like Kevin McCarthy.
-PJ
Trump maintains a private residence at his golf course in New Jersey. He has hotels in Las Vegas. He has an estate in Virginia, which he bequeathed to his son, Eric, as a vineyard. He has other choices besides New York.
Youngkin and Abbott would be OK, but only if about 50 others don’t want to be on the ticket.
Abbott only discovered his conservative balls 3-4 months ago, after frittering away many years helping the cartels. Youngkin had his own problems with school issues.
“I think DeSantis would make a great Attorney General.”
He’s too frickin’ weak, and too easily manipulated by deep state Trump haters. It’s possible he could be worse than Barr.
Mike Davis for AG. If Tom Fitton were an attorney, I’d go for him.
McDonald?
Scott is weak and not very bright.
Concur re the others.
Im just not sure how long McDonald has been in congress but he may be good to go in a few years...
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