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"Finding a presidential running mate. . " is a little like petting a tiger - you never know when the big cat has had enough and is going to bite. In politics you never know when events will change your candidacy from a winner to an abject looser. If you pick a VP and then lose the nomination, how good does that make you look?

Other fundamental objections to pre-selecting a Vice Presidential running mate prior to convention nomination, are many. Let's consider a few:

1. One of your early backers when you were not even known as a candidate said "I'll back you if I can be your VP when you win!" This, or a similar statement asking for commitment for an endorsement or other favorable publicity are not an infrequent occurrence. You are bound by your word to give serious consideration to this person regardless of their apparent value at the convention or on the campaign trail.

2. Early on, you chose a southerner to balance out your ticket on a geographical basis and to bring in some badly needed southern votes. As the primary votes come in and are analyzed you are unexpectedly strong in the south and don't need this sort of balancing act to make your entire ticket credible. Now what do you do?

3. The person you publicly chose in March is revealed to be a ganster in April! No more needs to be said.

4. Competition always helps produce the best candidate for almost any office and is especially good when it comes to VP. Allowing the mystery to develop through the latter part of the primary campaigns and through the convention early rounds is just good strategy.

5. Late picking of a running mate gives the candidate the ability to see how their "short list" does under pressure.

I am sure there are many other fundamental questions that could have been listed and would have been just as good as these. However, the basics of my contention is that the candidate needs to retain their options for as along as possible in order to obtain the right person with the right qualifications.

One could also foresee that neither Republican or Democratic nominees will have all that much freedom for their picks for VP this time around. John McCain and the Republicans are already urging a hook-up and shotgun marriage with Mitt Romney or Mr. Huckabee. This ignores John McCains' many years in the Senate and the possible running mates there. His wide range of contacts throughout the public and private businesses are similarly ignored. Suppose he wanted to pick a General, or a CEO of some corporation?

Most Democrats are now convinced they are going to win and don't really care whether Hillary or Barack gets the top spot because the party will be back in power! However a ground swell is rising in favor of the loser of this years nomination being named VP. Once something like this gets running really hard, 4-5 months in front of the convention, it really is hard to ignore.

I don't think either candidate will do more than give lip service to this concept until the nomination is in hand. Then we'll find out what their wishes are made of!

To find a Vice Presidential candidate on the campaign trail would be a wonderful thing. But, for the many reasons stated above, it is not likely to happen this time around.

Learn more about this author, Fred Tolleson.
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