Conventional wisdom holds that running mates don’t matter much, that not since Lyndon Johnson delivered Texas to JFK in 1960 has there been a significant impact in the Electoral College. Similarly, studies show that nearly all voters focus almost exclusively on their choice for president, with the VP pick an afterthought.
They’re good points — up to a point. They fall short by neglecting how the right running mate can improve the attraction of the top candidate by filling in blanks and easing doubts. While the fitness of the standby to actually become president should matter most, in reality the impact is more about whether No. 2 enhances the appeal of No. 1.
Consider that Barack Obama, a young and inexperienced senator, chose Joe Biden, a Washington elder, to be his second in 2008. Or that George W. Bush, who had an insider’s name but an outsider’s experience and reputation, also picked a Washington elder, Dick Cheney, as his No. 2.
In both cases, wide respect for the running mates translated into more trust for the lesser-known tops of the tickets. Studies may not reflect that silent influence, but I believe it is a factor in the ultimate choice of many voters.
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