Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics’ Post

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The vice presidency is a critical aspect of the convention process and the significant decision for any presidential nominee. It's the second highest executive office and 1st in the line of succession. The vice President selection often involves strategic considerations such as balancing the ticket geographically, ideologically, or demographically. Historically, the vice president was the candidate with the second most Electoral College votes, as specified by the original US Constitution. This system proved problematic, leading to the 12th Amendment in 1804, which established the joint ticket system for the president and vice president. In modern times, the vice presidential candidate is typically chosen by the presidential nominee, often with input from party leaders and advisors. This selection is usually announced before the convention. Which serves as a formal introduction of the running main to the public. Factors influencing the choice include the candidates experience, compatibility with the presidential nominee, appeal to key voter demographics, and ability to help secure important swing states. The selection process is rooted in constitutional requirements and political strategy. According to Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution, the vice president must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident of the United States for 14 years. Beyond these requirements, the process involves extensive vetting, including background checks and interviews, to ensure that the chosen. Candidate complements the presidential nominee and can effectively assume the presidency if necessary. Political maneuvering and vetting are integral to the process, with potential candidates evaluated on their public image, political track record, and ability to collaborate with the president. This decision is influenced by current political dynamics, public opinion, and party needs, with final approval typically involving consultations with key advisors and party leaders. Though rare, a vice president can be replaced during a presidential term. The 25th Amendment provides the procedure for filling a vacant vice presidential office. The president nominates a new vice president. Who must be confirmed by a majority in both houses of Congress. This process highlights the importance of maintaining a stable and effective executive branch. In the context of 2024 presidential election, JD Vance's selection as the Republican vice presidential pick is a strategic move aimed at strengthening the campaigns appeal to working class voters, particularly in economically struggling regions like the Rust Belt. Vance, a US Senator from Ohio and author of the best selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, has a strong connection with blue collar Americans who often feel overlooked by traditional politics. His populist rhetoric focus on economic revitalization and the personal history of rising from poverty resonates with voters in key swing states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Vance's selection is designed to energize a critical voter base aligned with the campaigns message of economic opportunity and address the economic concerns of Middle America. His conservative stance on social issues also has the potential to unite various factions within the party, making him a pivotal figure in what could be a tight election. On the other hand, Tim Walz, the vice presidential pick of the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, has had a distinguished career marked by his commitment to public service, serving 24 years in the Army National Guard, where he achieved the rank of command Sergeant major. Waltz later transitioned to education as a high school teacher in Minnesota. His political career began in 2006 when he was elected to represent Minnesota's first Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. In 2018, he was elected governor of Minnesota. His pragmatic leadership and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with his efforts to unite rural and urban voters, bolstered his reputation as a bipartisan leader. These qualities, combined with his appeal to working class voters, made him a strategic choice as the Democratic vice presidential pick. Aiming to balance the ticket and attract Midwestern voters concerned with issues like health care and education. I want to talk to you about the vice presidents that have been, uh, picked up as running mates. What is the role of vice president in the government structure? And we know that the running mate hits the Senate and is expected to take over the presidency if the need arises. But we also know that it was the case that historically the presidential candidate who received the second highest electoral votes would become the vice president. So how has that? Whole evolved over the years. What is the vice president supposed to do in the current structure of government as it is? It was very confusing at first because in eight 1800 the Thomas Jefferson. Received the most votes and 2nd John Adams, the incumbent president, received the second highest votes and they didn't like each other. Uh, and in fact, they represented two different political parties. Now, when the Constitution was framed, there were no such thing as political parties. So, yeah, the person who gets the highest vote that becomes president, the person who gets a second highest vote becomes vice president. But as it evolved with the party system, it made it very awkward. So by eighteen O 4, we had the 12th amendment to the US Constitution. Which said no, we're not going to. We're not going to do this. We're going to have a ticket with the president and vice president of one particular party and the president and vice president of the other. Political party. Now in terms of what the of the what the vice president does, usually the vice president is selected to draw in voters from a particular constituency, either a geography or an income level or an ethnicity. But to be perfectly honest with you. The vice presidential pick is irrelevant. Because. The vast majority of Americans, when they go into that voting booth, they're voting for a president. We had a saying in Memphis that you were a yellow dog Democrat. Well, if a yellow dog ran as vice president. We'd still vote. For the Democratic Party in, in, in Memphis for, for the president, the real live person. So it it really does not matter that that much. The vice president does not draw in the votes. Now, sometimes it it helps. But that's very rare in 1960. John F Kennedy selected Lyndon B Johnson as Vice president. The reason being is that John F Kennedy was from Massachusetts, and if you are from the South, as I am, you're not. Too sure about folks up in New England, up up north. And. Plus the fact that the idea was that we were in the middle of a civil rights revolution and. If you were in the South and you were white, you weren't quite sure what John F Kennedy thought about it. Plus the fact he was a Roman Catholic and here in the South. Historically Roman Catholics. Have had. Difficulty. So Lyndon Johnson was placed on the ticket to tell Southern white voters, hey, you know, we're OK. We're not going to create any problems for you. Well, of course, as history showed, Lyndon B Johnson became the civil rights president. After John F Kennedy was assassinated. Do you think that a similar scenario has like unfolded itself with the choice of Tim Walls as the vice presidential pick for Kamala Harris? Because we do understand that when it came to Donald Trump, there was a little or not much enthusiasm about how what the vice presidential pick would be, how it can help him because his agenda or his he. He seemed to be like a one man party himself, right? But in the case of Kamala Harris, there was a lot of speculation and there were error reports that it has to be a white male right to appeal to maybe sort of undecided voters who are not Republican, who are not, who may be Republican, but like sort of don't support Donald Trump's parties or those undecided voters. So I just want you to shed a little light on the present scenario. And tell us, what political considerations do you think have gone into the choice of JD Vance and Tim Waltz as the vice presidential pics of their respective nominees? And do you think it would have electoral ramification? The idea of selecting a vice president, as I mentioned earlier, the vice president really doesn't have a significant impact that historically there may be one or two elections over the past 200 years where the vice President has. Has meant something. The vice presidential candidate has meant something. In terms of JD Vance? Trump's idea was twofold. First of all. Dance comes from Ohio, and Ohio is a key state in terms of the Electoral College. But over the past. 3 or 4 elections Ohio has gone Republican and it is really a red state. Red being Republican, blue being. The Democrat. So the politics were not as important as the visual. Don't forget, Donald Trump is a TV personality and he wanted someone who would reflect a positivity about. About the ticket, a youthful positivity and, of course, Donald Trump. Is older, he's in his late 70s, and JD Vance is of a different, different generation. But at the same time, Donald Trump did not want someone to over shadow him because he. Is the most important person on the ticket. So that these. Considerations went into the selection of JD Vance, now as far as Tim Walz is is concerned. His politics are pretty similar to the politics of Kamala Harris. So it it wasn't so much the politics in selecting Tim Waltz. And you're absolutely right, he's a white man. And he's a former football coach and you know, we love football here in in America. He's one of the guys, you know, and you, you have a multiracial woman running for president. So to have one of the guys as vice president, that's that's important politically. But if you look at his record in Minnesota. He's just as liberal. If not more so than Kamala Harris.