How to Pick a Running Mate
By Matt Warshauer

	Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush is joined on stage by his wife, Laura (left), and his running-mate, Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, at the conclusion of the Republican Convention in Philadelphia in 2000. (Photo: Amy Sancetta/AP Wide World)

Choosing your running mate is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a presidential candidate.  Your decision will give voters a first impression of your leadership skills, will help shape your image, and define your stand on the issues.

So how do you go about picking a VP that voters will respond to?  First, you must find a candidate able to serve as President if something should happen to you.  But you also need to consider how a particular candidate will support your message and attract more votes.  While no one votes directly for the Vice President, voters do consider the whole ticket before making a decision.

Geography

A good running mate comes from a state with a lot of electoral votes. If you have a tight race in an important state, you might pick a VP from that state to help swing the vote to your side.  Southern candidates might want to select a running mate from a Northern state to attract voters across all regions. California Governor Ronald Reagan followed this strategy when he selected Texas resident George H.W. Bush as his VP in 1980. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton broke that rule of thumb by choosing another Southern politician as his running mate, U.S. Senator Al Gore of Tennessee.

Philosophy

Some experts believe a presidential ticket should represent a balanced view. If you are a conservative Republican, you might choose a more liberal running mate to attract a wider range of voters.  Again, that doesn't always work. Republican conservative Bob Dole's opinions often contrasted with those of his 1996 running mate, Jack Kemp. Those differences contributed to the team's defeat in November.

Another strategy is to choose a VP whose beliefs are similar to your own. That way you don't confuse voters with mixed messages.  Case in point: Centrist Al Gore chose another middle-of-the-road Democrat, Joe Lieberman, for his VP in 2000.

Diversity

A ticket featuring candidates of various races, religions, and genders could help attract voters from many different backgrounds. Al Gore chose Joe Lieberman for more than his political beliefs. As a prominent Jewish Senator, Leiberman helped attract the large Jewish vote in Florida, a key electoral state.

This strategy didn't help Walter Mondale and his running mate, Geraldine Ferraro, however. They lost to Reagan and Bush in 1984. Mondale was hoping to capture the majority of women voters when he chose Ferraro. He also hoped to carry Mondale's electoral-rich state of New York. Instead, the ticket did so poorly, it only carried Montana—Mondale's home state.

Experience

You should also consider how much experience your favorite candidate has. U.S. Senator Dan Quayle became the brunt of a joke when he was chosen by George H.W. Bush as his running mate in 1988. Quayle's lack of experience left him open to ridicule.

You should look for a VP who has experience in areas you lack. Dick Cheney's experience as Secretary of Defense in the first Bush White House helped make up for then-Texas Governor George W. Bush's lack of experience in foreign policy.

To sum it up, here's how to pick your perfect presidential partner: Think about your strengths and weaknesses in each of the categories described, then look for a candidate who will heighten your profile and balance out your shortcomings.  You might just find your winning ticket.