THE PREGNANT LULL BEFORE THE STORM

By Edwin Cooney

One of the more attractive aspects of politics is its capacity for great drama. Since Vice President Harry Truman's dramatic succession to the presidency in 1945, post World War II Americans have been increasingly aware that a vice president is more than just likely to succeed to the presidency. Since party conventions are where political selections are made, therein lies the heart of the drama.

In 1952, Ike, an elderly candidate, chose 39-year-old Richard Nixon to be his running mate. Nixon was a young reactionary and, most of all, dramatically anti-Communist. In 1960, young Nixon, who became the presidential candidate, chose Henry Cabot Lodge, a distinguished former senator and retiring United Nations Ambassador, to add wisdom and weight to his team selection. In 1964, Barry Goldwater chose upstate New York Congressman and GOP National Chairman William E. Miller as his running mate, because of his ability to poke holes in Democratic logic and because of his Roman Catholic faith.

In 1968, three men fought for the party's nomination on the first ballot: Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan, the conservative movie actor from California. During the third session of the convention, I remember hearing an interview with South Dakota Senator Karl Mundt as he was naming a list of eight or ten possible GOP vice presidential candidates such as Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Charles Percy, John Lindsay, young Texas congressman George Bush, Gerald Ford, Senator John Tower of Texas, Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, Ohio Governor James Rhodes, and Wisconsin Congressman Melvin Laird. The list was most informative and even educational. However, ironically, the name not on Senator Mundt's list was that of Spiro Theodore Agnew of Maryland. That little drama would occur on the morning of Thursday, August 5th. Hence, everyone wondered: Spiro Who?

In 1976, Governor Ronald Reagan, seeking advantage over President Gerald Ford, named his running mate a week before the convention and challenged President Ford to do likewise. Reagan's choice was liberal Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker whom Reagan hoped would woo moderate delegates away from President Ford before the balloting. Ford refused the challenge but still won the presidential nomination. He chose Kansas Senator Bob Dole as his vice presidential running mate.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan had the nomination wrapped up by the time of the Detroit convention but needed a running mate with national security experience. At the beginning of the convention, between July 14th and 18th, 1980, negotiations between Reagan and Ford took place to see if they could agree on a duel presidency. Such an agreement was beyond both men, so George H. W. Bush was summoned and chosen.

In 1988, James Danforth Quayle was chosen as the young surprise vice presidential running mate, because although he was young and physically attractive, he would not be a threat to President Bush if he sought re-election in 1992.

During the 2000 Republican convention which was held in Philadelphia between July 31st and August 3rd, Texas Governor George W. Bush asked the head of Halliburton to lead the effort to identify a vice presidential candidate. In the end, Richard B. Cheney was selected. The irony was that because he and Governor Bush both resided in Texas, in order to qualify for election as Vice President, Mr. Cheney had to move back to Wyoming, the state where he resided when he had served in Congress from 1979 to 1989.
 
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the GOP’s 2008 ""Hot Hottie," was Senator John McCain's VP selection. However, she flamed out by mid campaign.

In 2016, Mike Pence brought to the Trump campaign a needed conservative with a Christian background which helped to sustain Trump during the controversy in early October over the candidate's relationship with — and toward — women..

As for 2024, many believe that Marco Rubio of Florida may be Mr. Trump's choice this week. If such is the case, perhaps the presidential candidate may have to move back to New York similar to Dick Cheney's 2000 move back to Wyoming!

Although many historians and political scientists assert that JFK's 1960 selection won Texas for the Democrats, few believe that vice presidential candidates generally elect the top of a ticket. However, the choice invariably reflects the state and mood of a party and its  constituents.

I predict that Vivek Ramaswamy is likely Trump's best choice due to his youth and his business background. However, how likely is Mr. Ramaswamy to be abjectly loyal to a lame duck president when the future could be all his?

Hence, the title I've given this week's offering. This may well be the pregnant lull before one hell of a storm!

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY