I don’t think his running mate choice would’ve mattered.
He wouldn’t won no, but still. Kemp added little to the ticket and seems like a flake to me. Pro-affirmative action. That’s one issue I can’t even see the other side on.
And maybe with the VP nom credit Engler might have run in 2000 and possibly spared us a certain gentleman’s Presidency (he couldn’t have done worse) and saved Spence Abraham’s seat in the Senate.