1. The Vice Presidency WB63

2. The Vice-President has 2 constitutional duties: WB63 #7 They are: –Preside over the Senate; and –Help decide Presidential disability. Stephanow 2006

3. Views of the Vice-Presidency “President-in-waiting” “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”—John Adams “The vice presidency isn’t worth a warm pitcher of spit.”—John Nance Ganer

4. Views of the Vice-Presidency

5. Running Mates How are VP’s usually selected? –Originally, everyone just ran for President. –Whoever got the most votes=Pres. –Second highest vote getter=VP. –Could be from different parties. –12 th Amendment was made in 1804 to change it. –Pres. & VP now run together as a “ticket.”

6. Running Mates #8: How are VP’s usually selected? –President’s select them. –National Convention delegates approve.

7. Running Mates What are some considerations that a presidential candidate uses when trying to decide whom to pick as a VP running mate?

8. Some considerations… What can they bring to the ticket? –Leadership & Compatibility (used more in modern times)--2004 Bush/Cheney –Cheney provides foreign policy, military, and federal experience, where Bush only had domestic experience as a state governor. Kerry/Edwards –Edwards had run himself, for President.

9. Some considerations… What can they bring to the ticket? –Leadership & Compatibility (used more in modern times)--2008 Obama/Biden –Biden has foreign policy experience. –Biden has a lot of national experience. In S since ’72. –Biden himself ran for president in ’08. McCain/Palin –Palin has executive experience that McCain. lacks. –Palin brings out the “softer side” in McCain. –Palin also viewed as a “Maverick” in the party.

10. Some considerations… What can they bring to the ticket? –Balance the Ticket--2004 Bush/Cheney –Age--older. (Bush was only 54) Kerry/Edwards –Edwards was younger than Kerry. –With Kerry seen as a “Northeastern Liberal,” Edwards was from the South (North Carolina).

11. Some considerations… What can they bring to the ticket? –Balance the Ticket--2008 Obama/Biden –Biden is older than Obama. (65 to 47) –Biden is seen as more moderate than Obama McCain/Palin –She brings in the women voters (disgruntled Hillary voters.) –Palin is younger (72 to 44) –Palin is much more conservative than McCain. McCain was having problems being accepted by the Rep. base because of his more moderate stands.