The relative unimportance of the vice presidency
was probably best expressed by John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelt’s choice in
the 1932 and 1936 elections. Garner described the job as “not worth a bucket of
warm spit.” Some VPs have experienced the viciousness of the comedy circuit and
the media. Dan Quayle was described as the man who was a heartbeat away from a
heartbeat. Spiro Agnew was vilified for his extreme views even before he was caught
up in a financial scandal, accepting bribes brought to him in brown paper bags in
his EOB office.
The choice of a Vice President is usually a
non-event. It often gets no more than one news cycle. This year, the media is
paying greater attention. Perhaps this arises because of the unpopularity of
both candidates at the top of the ticket. Maybe there is genuine interest in
how the ticket will be balanced, for example John Kennedy from the industrial North
East chose Southerner Lyndon Johnson. This year, the choices have shown a deep
divide between the political parties. Whilst Mike Pence of Indiana and Tim
Kaine of Virginia might seem to be cut from the same establishment cloth, this
is not the case.
Pence, the Governor of Indiana, had twelve years’
experience in the House of Representatives. He consistently advocated right
wing causes. He had no interest in reaching
across the aisle. He is Tea Party, having chaired the movement. As Governor, he
signed into law a religious freedom bill which protected businesses discriminating
against LGTG employees. He wants to end abortion rights enshrined in Roe v Wade.
He is backed by the notorious Koch brothers’ conservative network. Trump chose Pence
because he, Trump, needs to appease the base of the Republican Party. Pence speaks
their deep right-wing language.
In contrast, Kaine has a crossover appeal. In his
state, he is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. Since Nixon’s days,
Virginia has mostly been a solid Republican state. Kaine, as Virginia’s
governor and now as U S Senator, has demonstrated how Democrats can win in the
southern states. Kaine is a Catholic, he spent time as a missionary and he is fluent
in Spanish, a plus for the Latino community. Whilst he is personally opposed to
abortion, he supports a woman’s right to choose. As Governor, he allowed eleven
executions to proceed, yet he enjoys the worst rating from the National Rifle
Association.
If, like Trump, Mrs Clinton felt the need to
appease her party base, she would have chosen Elizabeth Warren, the
Massachusetts US Senator who most echoed Bernie Sanders, or Tom Perez, the Labour
Secretary who would have been the first Latino on a major presidential ticket. Instead,
the choice of Kaine is indicative that Mrs Clinton intends to fight in
Republican states where she is already polling well. Another benefit with Kaine
is his ability to expose a glaring weakness on the opposing ticket, namely
knowledge of national security and international affairs. Kaine served on
Senate committees overseeing armed services and foreign relations.
There are any number of criteria which determines a
VP choice. How will the President and VP work together? Kaine is a former
Senate colleague of Mrs Clinton with a similar temperament. He will surely fit comfortably
into her White House team. In contrast, Trump chose Pence despite hardly knowing
him, to represent what he isn’t in terms of temperament and worldview. You
could say that one choice is carefully considered for the future, the other
glibly expedient.
I believe the most important question a
presidential nominee must ask in making the choice of VP is “what if I die?”
Mrs Clinton seems to have followed this route. Mr Trump probably believes he is
immortal!
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