Despite the buzz created by presidential hopeful Barack Obama selecting Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., as his running mate Saturday, national election experts said running mates usually don’t impact elections.
Paul Abramson, an MSU political science professor and national elections expert, said Biden is a “safe choice,” and one that is unlikely to alter the course of the race. He said the only time a running mate made a difference since World War II was when John F. Kennedy chose Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960, which helped Kennedy carry Texas.
“The only memorable thing I can remember a vice president saying was Woodrow Wilson’s (Thomas Marshall), who said, ‘What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar,’” Abramson said. “It’s not that important.”
MSU students, though, said running mates could be a deciding factor for them.
“I think it has a big impact,” said Jon Libby, a civil engineering senior. “I would have changed my mind if it was someone I really didn’t like. You have two candidates to choose from, so sometimes it’s the lesser of two evils.”
James Durga, a theater freshman, said Biden and Obama are “a good pair” because of Biden’s experience and emphasis on foreign policy. Obama is relatively inexperienced and has a domestic mind-set, he added.
Benjamin Kleinerman, an assistant James Madison College professor and national elections expert, said although a running mate’s effects are “overrated,” they should try to complement the presidential candidate. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will probably choose a more socially conservative running mate to appeal to the more conservative element of his party, Kleinerman said.
Abramson said if the complement to Obama is Biden, McCain should look for a younger running mate. He also said McCain should consider taking a risk with a more inexperienced running mate because it could help him at the polls instead of making a “neutral” pick such as Biden.
Although Kleinerman said running mates have less influence than many people think, that is not always the case. Sometimes picking an unlikable partner can create negative fallout.
“It can be significant if you make the wrong choice,” Kleinerman said. “When George H.W. Bush chose Dan Quayle in 1988, it was significant because people thought it was a bad choice.
“He won, but he had a lot going for him in that election. It did cause him some problems.”
Angelica Leigh, a finance junior, said Obama made the right choice with Biden and it will pull some voters to the blue side.
“I think it balances out the ticket,” Leigh said. “It will sway independent voters, people who haven’t made up their minds yet.”
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