How important is VP pick to who you finally vote for?

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

I may be a little different than many on this board.  I'm a republican who tends to be slightly right of center.  However, right now I'd vote for Obama without hesitation.  Things like health care need to be changed.  McCain will not do enough ( tax credits ).  Hillary will do too much ( forced participation).  I like Obama's approach to the issue.  Make it fully accessible ( so that everybody who wants it can get it without preexisting condition limitations ) and as affordable as possible.  Nothing wrong by allowing anybody who wants it to join the congressional programs.   I fully believe it's the only approach that will pass congress and I use the prescription drug program as my example of why I believe this.   I like his approach to foreign policy in sitting down to talk to all.  I like his approach to social security ( no more phony commissions and nothing getting done...raise the payroll taxes and yes I'll have to pay more but it's time to fix this issue).

So, if Obama gets the nomination, will I support Obama not matter who he picks for VP? 

No, I recognize that it's a dangerous world and I'm looking for Obama to show that he will add some foreign policy strength to his team.  That natural way from him to show that is his VP pick although he could announce his foreign policy team with his VP choice.  I know some like the Gov. of Kansas.  Doesn't work for me.

Does the VP choice impact whether you'll support your candidate or not?
   

[ZamboniDriver]

For me, the VP pick doesn't matter (assuming nothing goofy happens).  I hope Pawlenty isn't selected as McCain's running mate.  But, if he is picked, I'll take a deep breath and still vote for McCain.   

[True Democrat]

In McCain's case, very important.

Anybody too conservative will lead me to not campaign for him, though I might still vote for him.

[Verily]

Unless someone really nutty is chosen, it probably won't affect my choice at all.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Unless someone really nutty is chosen, it probably won't affect my choice at all.

[angus]

I'm a republican who tends to be slightly right of center.  However, right now I'd vote for Obama without hesitation.   

same here.

I suppose it is possible for Obama to scare me off with his choice of running mate.  Someone unoffensive and low-key, with lots of foreign policy experience would help.  But unless the running mate is really unethical (Hillary Clinton) or unstable (Howard Dean), or unless it turns out that Obama is an Al Qaeda operative planted in the US senate in a very carefully orchestrated maneuver, I'll probably vote for Obama for President.

I would also say that I am very unlikely to support McCain no matter the choice of VP candidate.

[Duke 🇺🇸]

I still don't understand how a Republican could vote for Obama and his far-left policies. It goes against everything the GOP stands for.

[angus]

You might as well ask how any Republican could have voted for Nixon, then, since many of the current proposals were run up the flagpole by the Nixon administration.  In 1971, he wanted to combine a requirement that employers cover their workers with a program for impoverished families--not unlike medicaid.  Like Nixon's plan, in Obama's plan all Americans would be able to join by paying premiums based on their income.

Moreover, Obama is the only Democrat saying anything nice about Republicans, and acknowledging that some of their ideas are good.  Of course, he has tempered his remarks as necessary to win his party's nomination.  And admittedly, much of it was a calculated attempt to piss off Bill Clintion.  He said Reagan "changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not."  And it worked beautifully.  Got both clintons hopping made and tricked them into becoming nasty.  Played right into the notion of their instability.  Still, I think he also meant it.  And not unkindly.

It also shouldn't be offensive that he wants an FDR-like National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to rebuild America's crumbling bridges, cracking highways and aging dams.  Sure, it's expensive, but so was Reagan's administration and Bush's administration.  And at least with Obama we get something out of it, since it will create new jobs and invest back in America rather than investing in China's infrastructure and economy, or in Iraq's infrastructure and economy.  Invest in America?  what an idea!  Too bad Republicans find such an idea offensive.  (That we should find it offensive shows how far we have come, doesn't it?)

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

I'm a republican who tends to be slightly right of center.  However, right now I'd vote for Obama without hesitation.   

same here.

I suppose it is possible for Obama to scare me off with his choice of running mate.  Someone unoffensive and low-key, with lots of foreign policy experience would help.  But unless the running mate is really unethical (Hillary Clinton) or unstable (Howard Dean), or unless it turns out that Obama is an Al Qaeda operative planted in the US senate in a very carefully orchestrated maneuver, I'll probably vote for Obama for President.

I would also say that I am very unlikely to support McCain no matter the choice of VP candidate.

Funny I have the significant reluctance to support McCain also. But I will not support Hillary.  I've voted for a democratic president once.  Bill Clinton in 1992 because I believed we needed change and wanted to see health care available to all ( not universal but voluntary ).  Hillary wouldn't compromise and I see the same impractical program again in 2008.  She had the audacity to blame her health care failure on the American people not being ready for her "universal ( forced mandate)" version in explaining why nothing was done in 1994-1999. I will not vote for Hillary no matter what. 

So, it McCain by default over Hillary.

I'd likely hold my nose if Barack picks a VP who is light on foreign policy but I'm leery of some of his advisers experience; Dr Susan Rice and Samantha Power http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3422315.ece

I'd like to see a Biden, Richardson or others contributing significantly to his foreign policy views.  Would also like to see him getting advice from former Generals ( my favorite is Colin Powell ).

If it's the Gov of Kansas, Dr. Susan Rice and Samantha Power, that's not enough experience for me although I agree with Barack that judgment is the most important thing.  However, experience adds to judgment.  We don't want another Jimmy Carter Presidency ( bad on foreign policy )

[Torie]

McCain's age makes his choice more important than it otherwise would be.

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

McCain's age makes his choice more important than it otherwise would be.

Agree.  Ronald Reagan had the same problem with age and concern about how he'd handle foreign policy.  At the convention, there was lots of talk about a Reagan "co-presidency" with former President Ford as his VP to handle lack of foreign policy experience.  He was able to settle on a solid VP George H. Bush.

McCain has 4 problems; advanced age, problems with conservative base, not perceived strong on economics, and no solid George H. Bush type candidate that the base would like on economic issues. 

Tougher issue for McCain.  I don't see a way for him to get all four

[Хahar 🤔]

Unless someone really nutty is chosen, it probably won't affect my choice at all.

[Frodo]

McCain has 4 problems; advanced age, problems with conservative base, not perceived strong on economics, and no solid George H. Bush type candidate that the base would like on economic issues. 

Tougher issue for McCain.  I don't see a way for him to get all four.

Wouldn't either Mark Sanford or Tim Pawlenty cover all those problems quite handily for John McCain? 

[8 out of 11 is not deserved]

McCain has 4 problems; advanced age, problems with conservative base, not perceived strong on economics, and no solid George H. Bush type candidate that the base would like on economic issues. 

Tougher issue for McCain.  I don't see a way for him to get all four.

Wouldn't either Mark Sanford or Tim Pawlenty cover all those problems quite handily for John McCain? 

I actually think Pawlenty is a good choice but he seems to have problems with the conservative base. 

I've had little experience with Sanford.  A gov of a small state that is a republican given with no known innovation on the economy doesn't seem like a great pick.  However, I think he will probably be the choice.  Seems like the best available

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If McCain picks Sanford, I'm voting Democrat in November.  I like Sanford as Governor far more than I do Bauer.  That said, I don't think he'll pick Sanford.  Sanford has spent too much time fighting the Republican controlled General Assembly and his appeal isn't centered on the parts of the Republican base that McCain needs to secure most. If McCain were to pick a South Carolina running mate, DeMint would help him more than Sanford.

[exopolitician]

Not really that important I guess....unless Obama chose some random person like Kennedy, Clinton, Pelosi or something silly along those lines.

[Jacobtm]

The President of the USA is always in danger of being killed, so it definately matters. Especially this election cycle, where whoever becomes president will be more likely than average to die in office. McCain because of his age, and Clinton and Obama because of bigots. So yes, Vice Presidents will matter very much, especially this election.

[True Democrat]

Unforunately there's little chance that McCain would choose Lindsey Graham.  Now that would be a ticket I could really get behind.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Not only that, but Graham would likely turn him down.  He's running for reelection and South Carolina law doesn't allow for a candidate to run for multiple offices on the same ballot.

[Wakie]

A little.  If a candidate picks a complete incompetent as their running mate I would have a hard time voting for them.  Examples I can think of from recent memory are James Stockdale or Dan Quayle.

[Nym90]

I can't imagine anyone being chosen who would sway my vote.

[TomC]

Unless someone really nutty is chosen, it probably won't affect my choice at all.

[MODU]

99% of the time, it doesn't mean a darn thing. 

[perdedor]

Unless Obama picks Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman, I would not have any reservations in voting for him. As opposed to Clinton, who could pick Russ Feingold and not get my vote. Thus, I would say I place very little stock in the VP.