Republican Party vice presidential candidate selection, 2008

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was formally nominated for vice president at the 2008 Republican National Convention.

This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. On March 4, 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona won a majority of pledged delegates for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, and became the presumptive nominee.

McCain held an event with Alaska governor Sarah Palin, revealing her as his vice-presidential running mate on August 29, 2008 (the date coinciding both with McCain's 72nd birthday and the Palins' 20th wedding anniversary), at the Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, the day after Barack Obama's acceptance speech.^[1]

Selection process

Sarah Palin was the GOP choice for Vice President. At a speech in Norfolk, Virginia, McCain told supporters that regional considerations would have less bearing on his decision than the candidate's perceived ability to take over the office of the presidency–and the candidate's "values, principles, philosophy, and priorities."^[2] One factor that McCain had to consider, more so than did his opponent, was age. Had McCain won in 2008, he would have (on January 20, 2009) been the oldest person to assume the Presidency in U.S. history at initial ascension to office, being 72 years old. Other factors to be considered were shoring up the conservative base, choosing someone with executive experience, expertise in domestic policy (to complement McCain's foreign policy focus), and electoral college calculations.^[3]

On McCain's shortlist was Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Sarah Palin of Alaska, and Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania.^[4] McCain initially wished to choose Lieberman, his close friend and the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee, as his running mate; however, Lieberman's liberal record (voting with Democrats 86.9% of the time in the 110th Congress)^[5] and pro-choice stance led McCain's aides to veto the choice. Close aide Mark Salter preferred Pawlenty, while the campaign manager Steve Schmidt preferred Palin. By picking Palin, Schmidt argued, McCain could snatch the "change" mantle away from Obama.^[4] McCain, rejecting 'safer' choices such as Pawlenty or Romney, instead chose Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Media speculation on John McCain's possible running-mates

After his selection by Republican primary voters as presumptive presidential nominee, news sources and political pundits began to speculate on whom McCain would or should choose, based on the candidates' ability to enhance the Republican ticket, personality (ability to work well with McCain), and preparedness for assuming the office of the presidency. The Associated Press reported that McCain had composed a list of 20 or so potential running mates.^[6] Over two dozen names had been offered as viable potential running mates by the Kansas City Star,^[7] the Salt Lake Tribune,^[8] the New York Sun,^[9] the Indianapolis Star,^[10] the Saint Louis Post Dispatch,^[11] the Times of India,^[12] and the Globe and Mail.^[13] This list includes both names that had been mentioned in several sources and some much less likely candidates:

U.S. Senators

• Sam Brownback - Senior U.S. Senator from Kansas, 2008 presidential candidate^[14]
• Lindsey Graham - Senior U.S. Senator from South Carolina and long time McCain friend^[15]
• Lisa Murkowski - Junior U.S. Senator from Alaska^[16]
• Olympia Snowe - Senior U.S. Senator from Maine^[17]
• John E. Sununu - Junior U.S. Senator from New Hampshire^[18]
• John Thune - Junior U.S. Senator from South Dakota, endorsed McCain^[15][19][20]
• Joe Lieberman - Junior U.S. Senator from Connecticut Lieberman was an independent who caucused with the Democrats. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000.^[21]

U.S. Representatives

• Eric Cantor - U.S. Representative from Virginia^[22]
• Paul Ryan - U.S. Representative from Wisconsin

Governors

• Haley Barbour - Governor of Mississippi^[15]
• Matt Blunt - Governor of Missouri^[3]
• Charlie Crist - Governor of Florida^[15][19][23]
• Bobby Jindal - Governor of Louisiana^[12]
• Sarah Palin - Governor of Alaska.^[15][24] Sarah Palin became the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee in 2008.^[25]
• Tim Pawlenty - Governor of Minnesota and Co-Chair of McCain for President^[15][23][26]
• Mark Sanford - Governor of South Carolina^[15][23][27]
• Rick Perry - Governor of Texas

Former governors

• Mike Huckabee - former Governor of Arkansas, 2008 presidential candidate^{[15][19][20][23]}
• Mitt Romney - former Governor of Massachusetts, 2008 presidential candidate^{[15][19][20][28]}
• Tom Ridge - former Governor of Pennsylvania and former Homeland Security Secretary^[23]
• Christine Todd Whitman - former Governor of New Jersey ^[29]

Others

• Carly Fiorina - former Hewlett Packard CEO^[19]
• Tommy Franks - former U.S. Army General and former Commander of United States Central Command
• James L. Jones - former Supreme Commander of NATO and Commandant of U.S. Marine Corps
• David Petraeus - former Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq; Commander of the United States Central Command^[30]
• Rob Portman - former U.S. congressman from Ohio, former Budget Director and U.S. Trade Representative
• Meg Whitman - former eBay CEO^[19][20]
• Michael Bloomberg - Mayor of New York City^[31]

Denied interest

• Kay Bailey Hutchison - Senior U.S. Senator from Texas^[32]
• Bobby Jindal - Governor of Louisiana for only a year, who said he wants to complete two terms^[33]
• Condoleezza Rice - U.S. Secretary of State^[34]
• Colin Powell - former United States Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff^[35] Powell later endorsed Democratic Nominee Barack Obama^[36]

See also

• Republican Party presidential candidates, 2008
• Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection, 2008
• Republican Party vice presidential candidates, 2012

References

1. Mooney, Alexander; Bash, Dana; King, John (2008-08-28). "McCain settled on VP pick, sources say". CNN. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
2. Bosman, Juilie; Jeff Zeleny (2008-02-09). "Dems stump hard, McCain talks running mate". San Francisco Chronicle.
3. Hillyer, Quin (2008-02-14). "Who Wants to Be a Vice President?". The American Spectator. Archived from the original on 3 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
4. Evan Thomas (2008-11-06). "Campaign 2008 Secrets: McCain Gambles on Palin". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 9 November 2008. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
5. "The U.S. Congress Votes Database". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
6. McCain Easing Into Role of GOP Leader
7. "Who should be McCain's running mate?". Kansas City Star. 2008-02-13. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
8. Burr, Thomas; Matt Canham (2008-03-02). "Could dogged devotion earn guv a VP spot?". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
9. Geraghty, Jim (2006-12-06). "McCain Hints Minn. Governor May Be His Running Mate". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
10. "Pence suggested as McCain running mate". Indianapolis Star. Associated Press. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
11. Mannies, Jo (2008-02-12). "Blunt in running as McCain's running mate?". STLtoday. Saint Louis Post Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
12. "Jindal can be McCain's running mate?". The Times of India. 2008-02-10. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
13. Agrell, Siri (2008-02-14). "Age and identity politics likely to influence choice of running mate". Toronto: CTVGlobeMedia. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
14. "Sam Brownback For VP?". RedState. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
15. Horsley, Scott (2008-04-02). "McCain Starts His Search for a Vice President". NPR. Archived from the original on September 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
16. "Senators say whether they’d agree to be vice president". The Hill. 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
17. Smith, Prentiss (2008-08-04). "Prentiss Smith: Consider a woman running mate". Shreveport Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
18. Negrin, Matt (2008-05-04). "Vice President Sununu?". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
19. Halloran, Liz (2008-06-27). "McCain Vice President Choice is His Toughest Decision Yet". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
20. "The Vice President List". US News. 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
21. Glass, Evan; Alexander Mooney; Dana Bash; John King (2008-08-29). "Minnesota governor told he isn't McCain's VP pick, sources say". CNN. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
22. McCain Vets Cantor as Running Mate Wall Street Journal, by Susan Davis August 5, 2008, p. A6.
23. Cooper, Michael (2008-04-02). "McCain Considering Vice President Picks". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
24. Kelly, Jack (2008-06-04). "McCain Should Pick Sarah Palin for VP". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
25. "McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as vice president pick - CNN.com". CNN. 2008-08-30. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
26. Pugmire, Tim (2008-01-09). "Presidential campaigns raise volume in Minnesota". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
27. Sanford, McCain appearance fuel VP question The State (SC) August 18, 2008.
28. Reston, Maeve (2008-03-22). "McCain's No. 2: Who?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
29. Larimore, Rachel; Yoffe, Emily; Hulbert, Ann (2008-09-04). "Slate: The Sarah Palin Story". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
30. Ali Frick (2008-08-22). "McCain Politicizes The Military By Floating Petraeus For Vice President". Think Progress. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
31. Kamen, Al (2008-02-27). "Vice Presidential Contest Heats Up -- at Least Here". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
32. "Potential V.P. picks stay mum". CNN. 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
33. "Jindal Closes the 'Window' on Possible VP Nomination". ABC News. August 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
34. "Condoleezza Rice Running for Vice President? Former CPA Spokesman Dan Senor Weighs In". Fox News. 2008-04-08.
35. "Powell spurns talk of becoming vice president | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal". projo.com. 2008-07-02. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
36. "Colin Powell endorses Obama - CNN.com". CNN. 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2010-05-22.