When running mates mattered

[FerrisBueller86]

Can anyone remember the last time a running mate actually helped the ticket win electoral votes?  I don't think that has happened since Mondale helped Carter in the Midwest.

Cheney didn't help Bush win Wyoming or any other states.  He's a very polarizing figure, but unlike Bush, he wouldn't be able to win if he were at the top of the ticket.

Edwards sounded great and would have had populist appeal had he been at the top of the ticket, but he didn't help Kerry in North Carolina (which went for Bush by 13 percentage points).

Who is Lieberman's core constituency?  Is ANYONE fired up by him?  He's experienced, but he's boring.  I can't think of a single state that Gore couldn't have won without him.

Jack Kemp sounded great.  Even though I disagree with his conservative views and his supply-side economics, I find it hard to object to his sincerity, optimism, and commitment to social welfare issues.  But he didn't help Dole in either New York or California.  Come to think of it, I don't think Kemp managed to fire up anyone.  It would be ironic if I liked Kemp better than most people even though I'm squarely on the opposite side of the political spectrum and never even considered voting for the Dole-Kemp ticket.  (But I'd MUCH rather have Dole-Kemp in office now than Bush-Cheney, even if Dole is grumpy.)

Did Al Gore help Clinton win any states?  Clinton alone had Southern support, and I'm not sure if Gore added to it.  Clinton could have won a few more western states had he chosen a running mate from a Rocky Mountain state or Great Plains state.

I don't think Dan Quayle helped Bush senior win any states that Bush couldn't win on his own.

Reagan won with such overwhelming landslides that his running mate didn't matter.  However, Bush's reputation as a moderate probably helped him in the Northeast.

Mondale helped Carter in the Midwest.  He solidified Minnesota for Carter, helped him win Ohio, and made Iowa competitive (though Ford narrowly carried it).

[phk]

Can anyone remember the last time a running mate
Who is Lieberman's core constituency?  Is ANYONE fired up by him?  He's experienced, but he's boring.  I can't think of a single state that Gore couldn't have won without him.

Florida.

[A18]

I've heard some mention 1964.

[Ebowed]

1960: Kennedy's choice of LBJ got him Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia (especially), South Carolina, and North Carolina, and may have helped a little in West Virginia.

1964: Hubert Humphrey solidified the west for LBJ.

1968: Edmund Muskie got Humphrey Maine, which rarely voted Democratic.  May have also helped in other Northern states.

1976: Carter's choice of Mondale got him Minnesota and Wisconsin.

1988: Dukakis' choice of Lloyd Bentsen made Texas slightly competitive.

1992: Gore may have picked up Tennessee and Kentucky for Clinton, maybe.

[Notre Dame rules!]

I thought that Cheney was supposed to lend Bush gravitas during the 2000 election.  If that's true, then Cheney's value to the ticket extended far beyond his home state.

[phk]

I thought that Cheney was supposed to lend Bush gravitas during the 2000 election.  If that's true, then Cheney's value to the ticket extended far beyond his home state.

He lost his home-county in 2004 .

[CARLHAYDEN]

Johnson in 1960.

He helped Kennedy carry Texas and several southern states.

[A18]

I've heard some mention 1964.

Damnit, I meant 1960.

[PBrunsel]

1880: The choice of Chester Arthur united the "Stalwart" and "Half-Breed" Factions of the GOP. This helped Garfeild carry the swing state of Indiana.

1892: A silverite, Stevenson, helps Gold Bug, Cleveland, in the South and West.

[12th Doctor]

Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win.

The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992.

Cheney help out Bush in 2000 because he brought gravitas to the ticket.

Dole helped Ford in 1976, by solidifying the west, esspecially the Plains states, which, except for Nebraska, were very close.

Mondale helped Carter in Wisconsin that same year.

Kennedy would have lost the South in 1960 without LBJ on the ticket.

I don't think that it is fair to go back any farther, but those are some fairly solid examples.

[FerrisBueller86]

< Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win. >

Or maybe Gore did win. 

Seriously, how did Lieberman help Gore in Florida?  I know that Florida has a large number of Jewish, but I thought most Jewish voters are already Democratic.  Kerry was Catholic, but exit polls say he narrowly lost against Bush among Catholics.

< The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992. >
Are you sure that Clinton couldn't have won these states without Gore?

[Jake]

< Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win. >

Or maybe Gore did win. 

Seriously, how did Lieberman help Gore in Florida?  I know that Florida has a large number of Jewish, but I thought most Jewish voters are already Democratic.  Kerry was Catholic, but exit polls say he narrowly lost against Bush among Catholics.

< The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992. >
Are you sure that Clinton couldn't have won these states without Gore?

Gore won the Jewish vote nationally in 2000 79-19, Kerry won it only 74-25, so Lieberman helped him there.  Still looking for 2000 Florida exit polls

[12th Doctor]

< Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win. >

Or maybe Gore did win. 

Seriously, how did Lieberman help Gore in Florida?  I know that Florida has a large number of Jewish, but I thought most Jewish voters are already Democratic.  Kerry was Catholic, but exit polls say he narrowly lost against Bush among Catholics.

< The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992. >
Are you sure that Clinton couldn't have won these states without Gore?

Not only was Gore a southerner, but he brought family values cred. to the ticket, something Clinton himself sorely lacked.

[dazzleman]

< Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win. >

Or maybe Gore did win. 

Seriously, how did Lieberman help Gore in Florida?  I know that Florida has a large number of Jewish, but I thought most Jewish voters are already Democratic.  Kerry was Catholic, but exit polls say he narrowly lost against Bush among Catholics.

< The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992. >
Are you sure that Clinton couldn't have won these states without Gore?

Gore won the Jewish vote nationally in 2000 79-19, Kerry won it only 74-25, so Lieberman helped him there.  Still looking for 2000 Florida exit polls

I'm not sure if Lieberman really helped that much with the Jewish vote, though I used to think he did.  In 2000, the mideast was relatively quiet, with the intifada just having started, and Clinton still pushing Arafat toward peace.

By 2004, the situation had totally changed.  Israel had been under siege for nearly four years, and the Bush administration had strongly supported Israel.  Given the changed environment, this would have led to a larger share of Jewish support for Bush in 2004 over 2000, even without the Lieberman factor.  The fact that the swing was so small leads me to believe that Lieberman didn't really help Gore that much in 2000 with the Jewish vote.

I do think Lieberman was a good choice for nominee overall, though.  I think that overall, Gore would have done worse without him.

[phk]

< Liebermann helped Gore in Florida, though not enough to win. >

Or maybe Gore did win. 

Seriously, how did Lieberman help Gore in Florida?  I know that Florida has a large number of Jewish, but I thought most Jewish voters are already Democratic.  Kerry was Catholic, but exit polls say he narrowly lost against Bush among Catholics.

< The choice of Gore for Clinton might have helped Clinton in Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia.  The all south ticket probably generated excellent moral support in the South in 1992. >
Are you sure that Clinton couldn't have won these states without Gore?

Gore won the Jewish vote nationally in 2000 79-19, Kerry won it only 74-25, so Lieberman helped him there.  Still looking for 2000 Florida exit polls

I'm not sure if Lieberman really helped that much with the Jewish vote, though I used to think he did.  In 2000, the mideast was relatively quiet, with the intifada just having started, and Clinton still pushing Arafat toward peace.

By 2004, the situation had totally changed.  Israel had been under siege for nearly four years, and the Bush administration had strongly supported Israel.  Given the changed environment, this would have led to a larger share of Jewish support for Bush in 2004 over 2000, even without the Lieberman factor.  The fact that the swing was so small leads me to believe that Lieberman didn't really help Gore that much in 2000 with the Jewish vote.

I do think Lieberman was a good choice for nominee overall, though.  I think that overall, Gore would have done worse without him.

Jewish turn-out in FL, increased evn if the swing wasn't big.

[Bugs]

Any help Gore gave to Clinton in Tennessee is questionable since he lost there himself in 2000.

[J. J.]

1968 - Agnew probably helped Nixon in the South.

1980 - Bush helped Reagan slightly in the Northeast (especially PA and CN).  It made Reagan's landslide greater.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Gore won the Jewish vote nationally in 2000 79-19, Kerry won it only 74-25, so Lieberman helped him there.  Still looking for 2000 Florida exit polls

I think Kerry won FL jews 80-20.