WI: A different running mate for Clinton

[Heavy]

While Clinton's decision to run with Al Gore in the number two slot was questioned for going against the conventional wisdom concerning ticket balancing, it has nevertheless been suggested that Gore strengthened the ticket's position on family values and environmental issues, where Gore was seen to be stronger than Clinton.

What if Clinton had decided that he needed to choose somebody else, instead of another southerner? Who would he have been most likely to pick? If he had chosen somebody like Brown or Cuomo or Biden, would it have affected the 1992 and 1996 elections appreciably, and how might it have impacted 2000?

 

[Apollo 20]

While Clinton's decision to run with Al Gore in the number two slot was questioned for going against the conventional wisdom concerning ticket balancing, it has nevertheless been suggested that Gore strengthened the ticket's position on family values and environmental issues, where Gore was seen to be stronger than Clinton.

What if Clinton had decided that he needed to choose somebody else, instead of another southerner? Who would he have been most likely to pick? If he had chosen somebody like Brown or Cuomo or Biden, would it have affected the 1992 and 1996 elections appreciably, and how might it have impacted 2000?

It would have never been Brown, who was universally despised among the staff and by Clinton himself after a debate in which Brown insulted Hillary.

Cuomo is also doubtful; he added nothing to the ticket (and did very little to help with the NY primary that Clinton won).

Biden is also doubtful as he was a mere 4 years out from brain aneurysm surgery which would have raised all kinds of issues about his fitness to be President.

In any case, none of this matters; Clinton won on his own strengths and skills and the VP pick was one that was marginally significant at best. Gore worked because he strengthened the overall general election message of change and was already vetted by virtue of having run in '88. Gore was a good contrast to Quayle as well.

 

[V-J]

Who was actually on Clinton's shortlist? Won't have been either Brown or Biden, that much I'm sure of.

Edit, from the NYT:

Clinton campaign officials confirmed today that the other finalists were Senators Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, John D. Rockefeller 4th of West Virginia, Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania, Bob Graham of Florida and Representative Lee H. Hamilton of Indiana.

...

Mr. Clinton's list of finalists did not include either Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey or Gov. Mario M. Cuomo of New York, apparently because both men had repeatedly said they did not want to be considered for the post.

Those shortlisted names strike me as pretty flat, conservative choices. Maybe Gore was just 'that' good in Bubba's mind, that the shortlist was just a make-friends-and-influence-people exercise. Wofford and Hamilton, though, they look to me like 'they could help me govern' choices.

 

[Paul V McNutt]

aAs a Clinton for president volunteer I met the candidate and personally heard how much he did not like Jerry Brown. I don't think that Cuomo or Bradley would have made much of a difference.

 

[Duke 4]

If Senator Kerrey had been the VEEP he might have been able to talk President Clinton out of signing DOMA. Senator Kerrey was way ahead of the nation in believing gay people had the right to marry. The VP debate between Medal of Honor Winner Bob Kerrey vs draft dodger Dan Quayle would have been to nice to listen too. Also some midwestern states might have voted for Clinton then. , in particular Nebraska. Those states are red states. But many of them like Nebraska then had a Democrat as governor.(Ben Nelson) 2 Democratic Senators (Kerrey, Exon) There might have been a push by the democrats to get those midwestern states that had been the populist capitol of the nation at one time to come home to its roots. Also if Vice President Bob Kerrey had ran for president in 2000 again the military records of the two major candidates could have been highlighted. Then Governor Bush during the Vietnam war ran away and hid in Alabama while Bob Kerrey volunteered to be a Navy SEAL who lost his right leg in defense of his country. I do wonder if Bob would have still met Sarah Paley and got married and had his son Henry if he had been VEEP though.

 

[V-J]

Bob Kerrey's military record would, to put it mildly, be a double-edged sword in a national campaign. I think Bubba and the Democrats dodged a bullet with that one.

 

[Whanztastic]

Kerrey and Clinton sort of clashed in the primaries a little to much. Mrs. Clinton IOTL veto'd the idea of him. And yes his record is super shady.

Tom Harkin would be an interesting idealogical/regional/beltway balance.

Paul Tsongas might be an interesting pick as well, good regional balance but less idealogical assistance, but liberals may sit it out more.

Per Wiki this was the shortlist:

Jay Rockefeller, U.S. senator from West Virginia
Bob Graham, U.S. senator from Florida
Lee H. Hamilton U.S. representative from Indiana
Tom Harkin, U.S. senator from Iowa
Bob Kerrey, U.S. senator from Nebraska
George Mitchell, U.S. senator from Maine
Paul Tsongas, former U.S. senator from Massachusetts
Doug Wilder, Governor of Virginia
Harris Wofford, U.S. senator from Pennsylvania

Wilder I think is just on there for appearances, he doesn't play well with others. Graham is always a forgotten possibility but a strong #2 in my book.

 

[THE OBSERVER]

What about Ann Richards?

 

[Whanztastic]

What about Ann Richards?

Still a neophyte, barely been Governor for two years; would smell like Ferraro 2.0 to some.

If it was Tsongas, Clinton would likely need a new running mate in '96, Richards would be a good pick then (assuming she wins in '94...)

 

[THE OBSERVER]

Still a neophyte, barely been Governor for two years; would smell like Ferraro 2.0 to some.

Or Palin before Palin. If she was elected in 1986, then maybe.

 

[Duke 4]

The person least likely to get it was Paul Tsongas,. The guy all of the candidates disliked in 92. Bob Kerrey "SHADY" I have know Senator Kerrey since 82. He is one of the finest men and greatest heroes in the history of the United States. What hurt him more than anything was he was not married in 92. He always thought his interview for VEEP was for show in 92 and that Gore had it "wrapped up" before the interviews even started. Our country would have been very lucky to have Bob in the executive branch . Sorry for the editoral but I admire the Senator and respect him very much.

 

[katchen]

Bob Graham would have been a very BIG difference. He probably would have helped Clinton as much as Gore did. But he WOULD have carried Florida in 2000 and likely defeated George W Bush and spared us a national nightmare.

 

[James1010]

What about Ann Richards?

She was a real talent but had pulled back from politics after 1995 and political parties dont usually like to pick losers.

Tom Harkin is a likely pick. Gore was a concession to the party liberals, but Clinton strategists had a winning strategy that almost totally ignored the need for the liberal vote. Harkin was a blue collar guy and would have helped in the Clinton belief that a Democrat still could have won in appalachia and the belt if properly triangulated and un-encumbered by wedge issues.

If Harkin got the nod, Gore may have won the 2000 primary with a similar close loss to Bush. If Harkin won, we probably would have seen a Democratic Victory in 2000 with Harkin pulling down Missouri, NH and Ohio....or more.

With the Dot-Com bubble busting and 9/11 still hapening I actually think Harkin would go only 1 term and John McCain would win, become vastly popular and serve from 2004-2012. Harkin and not Bush from 2001-2004 would have pushed back the Global Financial Crisis to around 2009-2010 when the debt obligations of Europe and the Banks would have caused it to go no matter who was in office.

Enter a 2012 landslide for either Obama or Hillary.