Vice Presidents

Just on the eve of the conventions, the candidates must now choose their running mates. Vice Presidents typically have very little authority in the administration. Their job description is to rarely find themselves in the same location as the President (in case the President comes under attack) and to sit around and wait for something to happen to the President so he/she can assume their responsibilities. If the administration ends on a positive note, the economy is doing fine and the country is in no crisis, there is an added perk to the position. He/she becomes heir-apparent to their party's nomination. Although the VP has done little for the previous eight years, the party deems this person ready to become next in line to the throne (in a manner of speaking.)

There are several schools of thought regarding what characteristics the VP should possess. Some believe is should be someone who can help the ticket carry a potential pivotal state while others believe he/she should be strong in areas where the candidate himself is weak and still others carry the conviction that the VP should mirror the candidate's position to unite the party or contrast the positions to collect more Independent votes. Whatever strategy you adhere to there is just as much evidence that the opposing your view.

There has been many prominent democrats mentioned as Senator Barark Obama potential running mate including the second place finisher in the campaign, Hillary Clinton, who garnished nearly as many votes and delegates as Barack himself yet he went with another candidate who received very few votes Senator Joseph Biden out of Delaware. The scars of the long drawn out nomination process must have been too deep for the obvious choice. There must have been so much animosity between the two that Obama's campaign never even vetted the runner-up. Instead, Sen. Obama went with a candidate that strengthens his obvious weaknesses. Obama is very inexperienced and lacks any foreign affairs background so he chose a candidate who the electorate felt was his only strengths. As a matter of fact, he chose a running mate who was rather vocal in his criticism of this weakness during the Democrat's debates. Rather peculiar for the "Candidate of Change" to one of the longest running members of the Senate!?!?

Actually, Senator Joseph Biden was a good choice in my estimation. He is very knowledgeable on foreign affairs, he is very good in a one on one interview and he has very similar liberal beliefs. The problems with Biden is he tends to talk too much until he makes a mistake and he comes off as unbelievable when campaigning. In the debates and on the stump he plasters on a fake smile and an insincere persona. Of all the democratic candidates I believe he would do the best job in the office but he has proved to be an inadequate campaign. In addition, he supported the war which the opposite has become the corner stone of the Obama campaign.

Who Senator John McCain chooses as his running mate is yet to be seen. It has been rumored that he might go with a governor of a key state, or someone who is strong on the economy (his self-described weakness) or in the way of the "maverick" John McCain is known he has even considered a democrat.

Although advisors and analysts are paid to make more out of this choice than, in all practicality, it really deserves the media will become obsesses with anyone rumored to be the running mate of the candidates.

http://www.presidentsusa.net/presvplist.html