Legal Commentary

Reagan's Strategy: Pick a VP Candidate Early

By Jeralyn

The Democratic presidential primary has been fairly unconventional so far. The Boston Globe has an article today about what Ronald Reagan did in 1976 when he was losing big-time to Gerald Ford: He named his vice-presidential running mate. He came closer, but ended up not winning the nomination.

Despite naming Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania the would-be vice president to shore up support among Republican moderates, Reagan lost the delegate race by a little more than 100. But picking a vice president while trailing in delegates was a bold technique that some political analysts think might repeat itself in this year's tight Democratic race, the first since the Reagan-Ford contest that could go down to the wire in the same way.

....Selecting a popular vice presidential nominee could win over some superdelegates - uncommitted party leaders invited to the convention - while perhaps also attracting some voters in late primaries, analysts said.

The article considers whether this is something Hillary Clinton might do now. It mentions, as possible picks, General Wesley Clark and Bill Richardson.[ More...]

Richard Scweicker, who was the running mate picked by Reagan, thinks it would not be a winning strategy and that in highly contested election like this one, the front runner has to pick the second place finisher...e.g, an Obama - Hillary or a Hillary-Obama ticket.

I can't see it happening. I think if Hillary does not win big in Texas and Ohio, she will call it a day and throw her support to Barack Obama. She's too loyal a Democrat.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 24, 2008 (boomark / email).