It's Vetting Time!

National Journal ^ | Jun 21, 2008 | Marc Ambinder

[forkinsocket]

The history of the selection of modern-day vice presidential nominees is chock-full of blunders caused by haste or miscalculations.

Just after twilight on July 1, 2004, John Kerry slipped through the garden in the back of his Georgetown town house. Accompanied by a single aide and two Secret Service agents, he walked about 60 feet uphill, crossed a side street, and entered the home of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. There he found a fellow senator, John Edwards, waiting for him.

Edwards had just flown in from a private Florida airfield near Disney World. As Kerry and Edwards began the conversation that persuaded the Massachusetts Democrat to choose the North Carolinian as his running mate, reporters from the major news networks, a wire service, and The New York Times milled about in front of Kerry's house. A source deep within the Democratic advance world had tipped them off that the party's presidential nominee would secretly meet that night with the person he would most likely ask to join his ticket. Kerry returned home by 9 p.m. Shortly afterward, floor by floor, the lights went out. The reporters left. Kerry announced his decision on July 6 on his own terms.

Such secrecy and caution may seem excessive, but the history of the selection of modern-day vice presidential nominees is replete with missteps caused by haste or by presidential candidates' being more consumed with political calculations than the prerequisites of the nation's second-highest job. Even though John McCain and Barack Obama began their sorting processes with the benefit of hindsight, they are being tempted by the forces that tripped up their predecessors.

Quiet, trouble-free veep searches are the exception. In 1980, Ronald Reagan went through gyrations to avoid choosing rival George H.W. Bush, the runner-up during the Republican primaries.

[forkinsocket]

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[Dilbert San Diego]

I know it’s a complicated process, but maybe McCain could hold off finalizing his choice till after Obama makes a choice. the Dem. convention is first, so he can wait out the Democrats.

Then McCain and his team could take the Dems. choice into account with their choice of VP running mate.

[PGR88]

So it is confirmed - Edwards was supplied by Disney World! I prefer him as the actor for Goofey.

[BatGuano]

Any mention of “Mark Gearan, President of Hobart & William Smith Colleges”, makes me cringe. As a graduate, I am disgusted that, yet another liberal operative has been sent to a college campus to further the party dogma. I mean by that the Communist Party! Good Post. Another coincidence, my daughter went to school with Marc Ambinder.

[RachelFaith]

In 1980, Ronald Reagan went through gyrations to avoid choosing rival George H.W. Bush, the runner-up during the Republican primaries.

He didn't gyrate enough....

[Jabba the Nutt]

Picking George H W Bush was Reagan’s biggest mistake. The Bush’s are Republican Party killers with their liberal policies.

[Question_Assumptions]

No mention of Sarah Palin? Looks like Pawlenty is going to be the likely choice. I hope he doesn’t pick Carly Fiorina.

[RJL]

Looks like Pawlenty is going to be the likely choice.

That would be a mistake for McCain.

Pawlenty won't even be able to deliver the Minnesota vote for McCain, let alone help anywhere else.

Additionally, McCain needs someone more conservative than he is, to help bring in the conservative vote. Sadly, Pawlenty, if not a Rino, is as close to being a Rino as he can be.