Who chose wisely, who chose foolishly?

[Lincoln Republican]

Following is a listing of major party candidates for President and candidates for Vice President since 1932.

Which of these Presidential candidates chose a running mate wisely and which chose a running mate foolishly?

1932 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, John Nance Garner
1932 Republican Herbert Hoover, Charles Curtis

1936 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, John Nance Garner
1936 Republican Alf Landon, Frank Knox

1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace
1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary

1944 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker

1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren

1952 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1952 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, John Sparkman

1956 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver

1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge

1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller

1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie

1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver

1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1976 Republican Gerald Ford, Bob Dole

1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale

1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro

1988 Republican George  H W Bush, Dan Quayle
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen

1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
1992 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle

1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp  

2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman

2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards

2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin

2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan

2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine
 

[brucejoel99]

Wisely:
1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker
1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley
1952 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1956 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson
1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey
1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie
1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen
1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence
 
Foolishly
1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren
1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro
1988 Republican George  H W Bush, Dan Quayle
1992 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp 
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine

[Lechasseur]

I'll do elections in the last 40 years:

Wisely:
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush
1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush
1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence

Foolishly:
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen (this one is because Bentsen was soooo much more presidential than Dukakis)
1988 Republican George H. W. Bush, Dan Quayle
1992 Republican George H. W. Bush, Dan Quayle
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman
2000 Republican George W. Bush, Dick Cheney
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards
2004 Republican George W. Bush, Dick Cheney
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine

[Skill and Chance]

Roosevelt keeping Garner in 1936 sticks out as foolish in the same way that Lincoln choosing Johnson in 1864 was foolish if you think he could have still won with Hamlin.  If for whatever reason, Garner became president, most of the New Deal gets trashed. 

[brucejoel99]

Roosevelt keeping Garner in 1936 sticks out as foolish in the same way that Lincoln choosing Johnson in 1864 was foolish if you think he could have still won with Hamlin.  If for whatever reason, Garner became president, most of the New Deal gets trashed. 

They actually had a warm relationship before FDR's court-packing plan, so perhaps FDR was okay with keeping Garner by thinking that the New Deal was entrenched enough that, even if something were to happen, there wasn't too much that Garner could do to mess it up.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Roosevelt keeping Garner in 1936 sticks out as foolish in the same way that Lincoln choosing Johnson in 1864 was foolish if you think he could have still won with Hamlin.  If for whatever reason, Garner became president, most of the New Deal gets trashed. 

They actually had a warm relationship before FDR's court-packing plan, so perhaps FDR was okay with keeping Garner by thinking that the New Deal was entrenched enough that, even if something were to happen, there wasn't too much that Garner could do to mess it up.

that seems to be the likeliest explanation that I've heard thus far.

[Dac10]

Wisely:

1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker
1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley
1952 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver
1956 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon
1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson
1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie
1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale
1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro
1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen
1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
1992 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle
1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore
2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan
2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence
 
Foolishly

1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary
1944 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren
1952 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, John Sparkman
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller
1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver
1988 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp  
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman
2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine

[vitoNova]

Liebermann was a foolish choice.  *vomits in mouth*

Social conservatives have no business being members of the Democratic Party.

[Mr. Smith]

1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace (foolishly)
1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary (wisely)

1944 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman (wisely)
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker (wisely)

1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley (wisely)
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren (wisely)

1952 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (wisely)
1952 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, John Sparkman (foolish)

1956 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (wisely)
1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver (foolish)

1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson (wisely)
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge (foolishly)

1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey (wisely)
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller (foolishly)

1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew (wisely)
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie (wisely)
1968 AIP George Wallace, Curtis LeMay (foolish)

1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew (foolish)
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver (foolish on all counts)

1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale (wisely)
1976 Republican Gerald Ford, Bob Dole (foolish)

1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush (wisely)
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale (wisely)
1980 Independent John Anderson, Patrick Lucey (foolishly)

1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush (wisely)
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro (foolishly)

1988 Republican George  H W Bush, Dan Quayle (foolishly)
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen (foolishly)

1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore (wisely)
1992 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle (foolishly)
1992 Independent Ross Perot, James Stockdale (foolishly)

1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore (wisely)
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp  (foolishly)

2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney (wisely)
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman (foolishly)

2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney (wisely)
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards (foolishly)

2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden (wisely)
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin (foolishly)

2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden (wisely)
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan (foolishly)

2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence (wisely)
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine (foolishly)
 


[/quote]

[dw93]

Last 80 years:

1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace  (wise)
1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary (wise)

1944 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman (wise)
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker (wise)

1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley (wise)
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren (wise)

1952 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (wise)
1952 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, John Sparkman (foolish)

1956 Republican Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon (wise)
1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver (wise)

1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson (wise)
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge (foolish)

1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey (wise)
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller (foolish)

1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew (foolish)
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie (wise)

1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew (foolish)
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver  (foolish)

1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale (wise)
1976 Republican Gerald Ford, Bob Dole (foolish)

1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush (wise)
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale (wise)

1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush (wise)
1984 Democrat Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro  (foolish)

1988 Republican George  H W Bush, Dan Quayle (foolish)
1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen (undecided)

1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore (wise)
1992 Republican George H W Bush, Dan Quayle (undecided, dropping him could backfire)

1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore (wise)
1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp (meh) 

2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney (wise)
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman (foolish)

2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney (foolish to keep, there were candidates that could've kept the base in line and not undermined the President at the same time)
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards (foolish)

2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden (wise)
2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin (foolish)

2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden (wise)
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan (meh)

2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence (wise)
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine  (foolish, but could've been worse)
 

[Schiff for Senate]

60 years, 1960-2020:

1960 Democrat: John F Kennedy picks Lyndon B Johnson - wise; it bought them TX
1960 Republican: Richard Nixon picks Henry Cabot Lodge - foolish; MA was safe blue and Lodge didn't bring anything to the table better Republicans couldn't have

1964 Democrat: Lyndon B Johnson picks Hubert Humphrey - wise, on the whole
1964 Republican: Barry Goldwater picks William E Miller - wise, though he was going to lose either way

1968 Republican: Richard Nixon picks Spiro Agnew - foolish, only because there were probably better options; still, Agnew wasn't really a bad choice
1968 Democrat: Hubert Humphrey picks Edmund Muskie - wise, though it couldn't save the campaign

1972 Republican: Richard Nixon picks Spiro Agnew - wise, by default, since incumbents never replace their running mates when running for reelection if they want to win
1972 Democrat: George McGovern picks Thomas Eagleton, then Sargent Shriver - foolish for obvious reasons; probably the worst pick out of those I classified as wise or foolish here

1976 Democrat: Jimmy Carter picks Walter Mondale - wise
1976 Republican: Gerald Ford picks Bob Dole - foolish on the whole given Dole's gaffes

1980 Republican: Ronald Reagan picks George H.W. Bush - wise
1980 Democrat: Jimmy Carter picks Walter Mondale - wise; see 1972 GOP

1984 Republican: Ronald Reagan picks George H.W. Bush - wise; see 1972 GOP
1984 Democrat: Walter Mondale picks Geraldine Ferraro  - wise because choosing a woman was a good barrier Mondale broke; he was going to lose regardless of who is running mate was so he made history in the process

1988 Republican: George  H.W. Bush picks Dan Quayle - foolish for enough reasons
1988 Democrat: Michael Dukakis picks Lloyd Bentsen - wise overall though he had no chance of winning TX

1992 Democrat: Bill Clinton picks Al Gore - wise
1992 Republican: George H.W. Bush picks Dan Quayle - wise; see 1972 GOP

1996 Democrat: Bill Clinton picks Al Gore - wise; see 1972 GOP
1996 Republican: Bob Dole picks Jack Kemp - wise overall, though there were better options available

2000 Republican: George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney - wise, since Cheney was experienced and a respected GOP party elder
2000 Democrat: Al Gore picks Joe Lieberman - foolish; there were dozens of better options, particularly a Floridian like Bob Graham

2004 Republican: George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney - wise; see 1972 GOP
2004 Democrat: John Kerry picks John Edwards - foolish because Kerry lost and Edwards was unhelpful, though not destructive like Eagleton was

2008 Democrat: Barack Obama picks Joe Biden - wise; see 2000 GOP
2008 Republican: John McCain picks Sarah Palin - foolish for very obvious reasons

2012 Democrat: Barack Obama picks Joe Biden - wise; see 1972 GOP
2012 Republican: Mitt Romney picks Paul Ryan - foolish; WI wasn't in play and Ryan was an unkown representative

2016 Republican: Donald Trump picks Mike Pence - wise, since Pence kind of reassured some evangelical voters
2016 Democrat: Hillary Clinton picks Tim Kaine - foolish, since VA wasn't really competitive and she should've picked someone like, say, Casey

2020 Democrat: Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris - wise, though there were better options, I feel
2020 Republican: Donald Trump picks Mike Pnce - wise; see 1972 GOP

[Vice President Christian Man]

Wisely:

1932 Republican Herbert Hoover, Charles Curtis

1936 Republican Alf Landon, Frank Knox

1940 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Henry A Wallace
1940 Republican Wendell Willkie, Charles McNary

1944 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, Harry Truman
1944 Republican Thomas E Dewey, John Bricker

1948 Democrat Harry Truman, Alben Barkley
1948 Republican Thomas E Dewey, Earl Warren

1956 Democrat Adlai Stevenson, Estes Kefauver

1960 Democrat John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson
1960 Republican Richard Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge

1964 Democrat Lyndon B Johnson, Hubert Humphrey
1964 Republican Barry Goldwater, William E Miller

1968 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1968 Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Edmund Muskie

1972 Republican Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew
1972 Democrat George McGovern, Thomas Eagleton, replacement Sargent Shriver

1976 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale

1980 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush
1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale

1984 Republican Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush

1988 Democrat Michael Dukakis, Lloyd Bentsen

1992 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore

1996 Democrat Bill Clinton, Al Gore

2008 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden

2012 Democrat Barack Obama, Joe Biden
2012 Republican Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan

2016 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence
2016 Democrat Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine

2020 Republican Donald Trump, Mike Pence

Foolishly:
1932 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, John Nance Garner

1936 Democrat Franklin D Roosevelt, John Nance Garner
1936 Republican Alf Landon, Frank Knox

1996 Republican Bob Dole, Jack Kemp  

2000 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2000 Democrat Al Gore, Joe Lieberman

2004 Republican George W Bush, Dick Cheney
2004 Democrat John Kerry, John Edwards

2008 Republican John McCain, Sarah Palin

2020 Democrat Joe Biden, Kamala Harris

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Mondale's 1984 pick of Ferraro was easily the most foolish vice presidential pick by a major party in the past century. He got so enamoured of the idea of a surprise announcement of a female running mate that he was unable to do the vetting that would have easily caused him to at minimum pick some other female to be his running mate.

[NewYorkExpress]

Honestly, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump made excellent VP picks in 2016. The reason Clinton lost, besides Putin's interference, was Clinton's own flaws, not through any flaw of Tim Kaine, who quite frankly helped the ticket more than he hurt it.

Pence of course, probably swung North Carolina and possibly Georgia to Trump, and almost swung Georgia to Trump again in 2020.

[brucejoel99]

Honestly, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump made excellent VP picks in 2016. The reason Clinton lost, besides Putin's interference, was Clinton's own flaws, not through any flaw of Tim Kaine, who quite frankly helped the ticket more than he hurt it.

Lol:

Kaine was a highly qualified pick, but he was NOT a good pick. Sure, he by no means single-handedly doomed Hillary's campaign, but his choice was emblematic of why Hillary lost. Her number one challenge was convincing the Obama coalition & voters in general that she represented real change in a year when the electorate wanted an outsider. The VP pick was the one big chance for her to signal that, even though Hillary herself was the consummate establishment politician, she had heard the message loud & clear and was ready to shake things up.

And Hillary had a number of strong choices to pick from, including Warren (who clearly wanted the job), Sanders (politically unthinkable but he would've unified the party & supercharged millennial turnout), Brown (Sanders-lite), or even somebody like Castro or Booker who at least would've added charisma to the ticket & helped to keep the Obama coalition engaged.

So what happened? Hillary chose not just another insider, but one utterly lacking in charisma, apparently for no other reason than that she just felt more comfortable with Kaine than with somebody like Warren, who would've been a disruptive presence in Clintonworld. To be fair, I know Tim Kaine is a nice guy who's highly qualified & would've helped with Senate outreach, but the VP doesn't necessarily need to fulfill that role or any particular role from a governing standpoint.

It was surreal seeing Democratic Party insiders & the Washington press all sing Kaine's praises, while meanwhile it was obvious to many young &/or left-leaning voters that he was a terrible choice for the reasons I mentioned above.

[Skill and Chance]

Roosevelt keeping Garner in 1936 sticks out as foolish in the same way that Lincoln choosing Johnson in 1864 was foolish if you think he could have still won with Hamlin.  If for whatever reason, Garner became president, most of the New Deal gets trashed. 

They actually had a warm relationship before FDR's court-packing plan, so perhaps FDR was okay with keeping Garner by thinking that the New Deal was entrenched enough that, even if something were to happen, there wasn't too much that Garner could do to mess it up.

that seems to be the likeliest explanation that I've heard thus far.

For some reason, FDR really struggled to find a running mate who shared his ideology until the very end.  Given how sick he was for his age, Garner and especially Wallace (I can't imagine how badly he screws up WWII) were huge unnecessary risks given his double digit margins of victory.

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

The most recent VP picks that helped their ticket politically were in the 1990s.

[brucejoel99]

The most recent VP picks that helped their ticket politically were in the 1990s.

Talk about choosing [your take] foolishly.

[Skill and Chance]

The most recent VP picks that helped their ticket politically were in the 1990s.

Disagree.  In hindsight, knowing the 2020 and 2016 results, it's pretty clear Biden pretty helped Obama hold onto enough of the WWC.  He would have won anyway in 2008, but IDK about 2012. 

Just about every other recent VP has hurt the ticket on net, I agree, mostly because they played too hard to the party base.  Kaine was different in that he had a moderate reputation at the time, but just turned out to be totally incompetent at a national campaign-probably because the median VA voter is so different from the median EC voter.  Pence is the closest call, but he still probably cost Trump more votes in the North than he gained him in the South.