Podcast Summary
A historic vice presidential selection process for Joe Biden's campaign: Biden's pick of a female running mate could set the Democratic Party's direction and potentially make her the next standard-bearer due to Biden's age.
The upcoming vice presidential selection process for Joe Biden's campaign is expected to be a consequential moment in the 2020 presidential race. Biden, who is older at 77, has stated that he will pick a woman as his running mate, making it a historic choice. Alyssa Mastramonaco, a former deputy chief of staff for President Barack Obama, believes this is an important pick due to Biden's age and the potential for the vice president to become the next standard-bearer of the Democratic Party. The process is usually secretive, but given the unusual circumstances of the pandemic campaign, the vice presidential selection may become the most significant moment in the election. Biden's pick will not only serve as a governing partner to him but also set the direction for the Democratic Party.
Vetting Process in Vice President Selection: The vice presidential selection process involves a rigorous and secretive vetting stage, led by serious lawyers and advisors, to ensure the nominee is qualified and prepared for the role.
The selection of a vice president involves a rigorous and secretive process, with vetting being a crucial part. Once a candidate has narrowed down their potential picks, they begin an intense vetting process, led by serious lawyers and advisors. This initial stage involves researching publicly available information about potential candidates, and some may be disqualified. Those who make it through this stage enter a more intensive vetting process, which can include filling out lengthy questionnaires and undergoing thorough background checks. The secrecy surrounding this process is maintained through various means, including encryption and keeping the larger list of potential candidates hidden from campaign staff. Overall, the vice presidential selection process is a significant and invasive one, with the vetting stage playing a pivotal role in ensuring the eventual nominee is qualified and prepared for the role.
Vetting Potential Vice Presidents: Extensive and Rigorous Process: Extensive teams of attorneys and financial experts scrutinize candidates' past writings, financial records, and legal history to uncover potential disqualifying factors.
The process of vetting potential vice presidential candidates is extensive and rigorous. While social media has made it easier for information to surface, there is still a great deal of attention paid to a candidate's past writings, financial records, and legal history. The vetting process includes teams of attorneys and forensic financial accountants who scrutinize every detail. Disqualifying factors include anything that is not defensible or radical, such as unpaid taxes or controversial writings. An example given was former Senator Bob Graham, who kept detailed diaries that were scrutinized during his vetting process for potential vice presidential nominations. Ultimately, the goal is to uncover anything that could potentially harm the nominee or the party.
Thoroughly vetting nominees and associates to prevent unexpected revelations: Campaign teams meticulously vet nominees and their connections to avoid surprises and negative impact on the campaign.
During the presidential nomination process, the campaign team meticulously vets not only the nominee but also their family members and associates. This is because the nomination is seen as a package deal, including the person's character, their past, and their connections. Surprises, especially those that could negatively impact the campaign, are something the campaign teams desperately want to avoid. An example of this is the 1972 campaign of George McGovern, who selected Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton as his vice president nominee. However, Eagleton's past mental health treatments were discovered just 18 days after the announcement, leading him to withdraw from the ticket. This incident underscores the importance of thorough vetting to prevent unexpected revelations that could harm the campaign. Today, while certain issues may seem less disqualifying than before, the key is for the campaign to be prepared and have a defense ready.
The Evolution of Political Nominee Vetting: Thorough vetting is essential for presidential nominees, including examining personal and private papers, policies, and past decisions, to ensure they can pass the Eagleton test and avoid Palin-like surprises.
The vetting process for political nominees has evolved significantly over time. In the past, being in elected office was seen as sufficient vetting. However, with the increased scrutiny that comes with running for higher offices like the presidency, a more thorough vetting process is necessary. This includes examining a candidate's personal and private papers, policies, and past decisions. The people who have run for president have extensive files on each other, and the risk of personal information being leaked is a major concern. The famous example of Sarah Palin's vetting process serves as a cautionary tale, with the HBO movie "Game Change" chronicling her lack of preparedness and knowledge on various issues. Today, the goal of the vetting process is to ensure that a nominee can pass the Eagleton test, meaning they can make it through the process without major scandals or revelations emerging. The Palin test, on the other hand, is a reminder of what happens when the vetting process fails.
Vetting Sarah Palin for McCain's campaign: The rushed vetting process of Sarah Palin during John McCain's campaign led to misunderstandings about her policy positions and personal background, highlighting the importance of thorough vetting for nominees.
The hasty and superficial vetting process of Sarah Palin during John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign led to significant misunderstandings about her policy positions and personal background. The team underestimated the media scrutiny and failed to uncover crucial information, such as her stance on key issues and personal matters like her daughter's pregnancy. This oversight resulted in a lack of clear understanding of Palin's beliefs and qualifications when she was sent out to represent McCain on the national stage. The vetting process includes a public record search, personal investigation, and an interview with the nominee. Interviews with potential nominees involve assessing their interest and sitting down with lawyers and close associates to discuss their backgrounds in detail. The Palin experience serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough vetting to ensure a nominee's readiness for the role.
The inner workings of selecting a vice president nominee: Democrats typically meet with 4-8 potential VP candidates, vetting process involves political advisors and campaign managers, and maintaining secrecy is crucial to protect the decision-making process and the decision itself.
The process of selecting a vice president nominee for a presidential campaign is a closely guarded secret. Even though it is a topic of constant discussion and speculation, the inner workings of the process are kept hidden from the public. Democratic nominees typically meet with 4-8 potential vice president candidates, and the list is often narrowed down to 2 or 3 for further consideration. The people involved in the process, including political advisors and campaign managers, are recognizable public figures, making it a challenge to maintain secrecy. Those responsible for the vetting process, like the speaker, have played a crucial role in ensuring that the decision-making and the decision itself remain confidential. The importance of secrecy lies in the protection of the decision-making process and the decision itself. The speaker shared some specific experiences from working on campaigns for John Kerry and Barack Obama, where they employed various methods to maintain secrecy, including keeping information from leaking to the media and managing communications carefully.
Secrecy during John Kerry's Vice Presidential Selection Process: John Kerry's past experiences led him to prioritize secrecy during his vice presidential selection process, resulting in unconventional meeting locations and strict access control.
During John Kerry's vice presidential selection process in 2004, he requested the person coordinating the meetings to ensure utmost secrecy due to his experience of public humiliation during the 2000 presidential nomination. The coordinator went to great lengths to arrange meetings in unconventional locations and controlled access to prevent leaks to the press. Some candidates were obedient, while others were difficult. A notable incident involved a candidate with a strong odor problem, and the coordinator had to inform Kerry about it. Despite the embarrassment, Kerry took it in stride, as he had a diminished sense of smell, which was unknown to the coordinator. Overall, Kerry's desire for secrecy during the selection process was a result of his past experiences and his preference for a straightforward, uncomplicated approach.
Maintaining secrecy during Obama's 2008 campaign: Obama's team went to great lengths to keep potential running mates' identities secret, arranging clandestine meetings and using private planes to avoid media detection.
During Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, the team went to great lengths to keep secret the identities of potential running mates, including arranging clandestine meetings and using private planes to avoid detection by the media. These efforts were led by Plouffe, who insisted on maintaining secrecy to avoid leaks and speculation. The team also chose airports with less public scrutiny and had potential running mates dress incognito to further ensure discretion. These elaborate measures reflect the intense media scrutiny and the high stakes of a presidential campaign.
Unique challenges for VP selection during pandemic: The pandemic limits face-to-face interactions, making it harder for Biden to build rapport and chemistry with potential VP picks. However, the lack of in-person meetings could also lead to an unexpected choice.
The pandemic has presented unique challenges for the vice presidential selection process. While virtual meetings allow for more discreet conversations, they also limit the ability to build rapport and chemistry with potential candidates. Joe Biden, who has a history of in-person lunches with his running mate during his tenure as Vice President, may find it difficult to make an informed decision based solely on virtual interactions. The lack of in-person meetings could potentially favor those he already has a close relationship with. However, the element of surprise may also lead to an unexpected choice. Ultimately, the process is challenging, and the inability to have face-to-face interactions adds an extra layer of complexity.
Presidential campaigns keep vice presidential picks a secret to control news cycle, maximize fundraising, and mobilize volunteers: Campaigns carefully guard the identity of their vice presidential pick to leverage surprise for fundraising, volunteer organizing, and controlling news cycle
During a presidential campaign, the moment when a candidate announces their vice presidential pick is a carefully guarded secret. This is because the campaign wants to control the news cycle, maximize fundraising opportunities, and utilize the surprise to mobilize volunteers and gather data. Senior campaign staff often don't know the identity of the pick until the last minute, and campaigns go to great lengths to keep it under wraps. For instance, in 2008, the Obama campaign used text messaging to reach out to thousands of people and get their contact information, which could then be used for fundraising and volunteer organizing. The surprise element is crucial for these reasons, and the campaigns take extraordinary measures to protect it.
Maintaining secrecy in vice presidential picks: Campaigns go to great lengths to keep VP picks a secret to control info leaks, impact public perception, and coordinate visuals for maximum impact.
Presidential campaigns take great lengths to maintain secrecy surrounding their vice presidential picks. In 2004, during John Kerry's campaign, the selection of John Edwards was kept under wraps with advanced teams sent to potential locations, multiple rollouts prepared, and strict control over information leaks. The importance of the visuals, such as the unified family appearance and the joint speech, added to the impact of the announcement. The secrecy was so intense that even those close to the campaign, like the speaker in this discussion, were kept in the dark until the last minute. The risk of a leak was a major concern, as the concentration of press resources on a few potential picks could lead to an early revelation. The campaign's efforts to maintain secrecy demonstrate the significance of the vice presidential pick in shaping public perception and the importance of carefully managing the announcement.
Rumors of Vice Presidential Selection can bring unexpected attention: Rumors of VP selection can generate media buzz, even if untrue, and bring attention and potential benefits to political careers.
The vice presidential selection process can create unexpected attention and opportunities for politicians who are not ultimately chosen. During the 2004 presidential race, rumors swirled about Chet Edwards being a potential running mate for John Kerry. Although the campaign did not confirm or deny these rumors, the speculation led to a media frenzy and brought attention to Edwards, even if he didn't end up on the ticket. This example highlights how the vice presidential selection process can impact not only the candidates but also those who are considered and ultimately not chosen. It also demonstrates the strategic value of remaining vague and allowing the media to create a story, which can generate buzz and potentially benefit a political career.
