Alternate VPs for George H. W. Bush

Polish Eagle

Dan Quayle IOTL came under some criticism for his lack of experience (the infamous "you're no Jack Kennedy" remark demonstrates the effectiveness of his attempt to spin that in his favor), and as Vice President he would act in a manner that led many to question his actual intelligence.

Suppose he says something phenomenally stupid to George H. W. Bush while Bush is looking for running mates in 1988, dumb enough to get Bush the Elder to write him off.

Who else can Bush Sr. choose as his running mate, and would that running mate help or hurt him in 1988 and 1992?
 

bguy

Donor
Polish Eagle said:
Who else can Bush Sr. choose as his running mate, and would that running mate help or hurt him in 1988 and 1992?
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Per Jon Meacham's biography on Bush, the final decision was between Quayle and Bob Dole. If Quayle disqualifies himself, and Bush just can't get past his dislike for Dole, then apparently the other candidates that were seriously considered were Elizabeth Dole, Jack Kemp, Pete Domenici, Alan Simpson, and John Danforth. I think the '88 and '92 elections will play out pretty much the same no matter who Bush picks.
 
Gorrister

Gorrister

bguy said:
Per Jon Meacham's biography on Bush, the final decision was between Quayle and Bob Dole. If Quayle disqualifies himself, and Bush just can't get past his dislike for Dole, then apparently the other candidates that were seriously considered were Elizabeth Dole, Jack Kemp, Pete Domenici, Alan Simpson, and John Danforth. I think the '88 and '92 elections will play out pretty much the same no matter who Bush picks.
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I can't agree. With Quayle not rising to national prominence, he won't garner a goofy image like IOTL and could end up being a serious candidate down the line. That's not even considering the fact that Dole may not even be a candidate come 96 if he's Bush's VP.
 

bguy

Donor
spookyscaryskeletons said:
I can't agree. With Quayle not rising to national prominence, he won't garner a goofy image like IOTL and could end up being a serious candidate down the line.
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I agree with you about this, but that wouldn't change the '88 or '92 election.

That's not even considering the fact that Dole may not even be a candidate come 96 if he's Bush's VP.
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Why would Dole being Bush's veep prevent him from getting the Republican nomination in 1996? Unless Dole is somehow blamed for Bush losing the '92 election (and I can't really envision a scenario where that would happen), having been the Vice President will just bolster Dole's '96 run. (Now if Bush goes with one of the other possibilities then that might be enough to deny Dole the '96 nomination, as a Republican Vice President who didn't become a national joke would be a credible rival to Dole for the Republican nomination in '96. Still I can't really see any of Kemp, Domenici, Simpson, or Danforth being able to defeat Clinton in '96 if conditions are anything close to OTL, so I don't think it ultimately changes that much if Dole isn't the Republican candidate that year.
 
Sanderford

Sanderford

Bob Dole comes to mind. Bush was a moderate, which is why he had been chosen in '80 to bring the moderates on-board with Reagan's center-right platform. To bring Dole onto the ticket now would hopefully have the same impact, but in reverse. Dole was regarded as a more conservative member of the party.

For the same reason, the names of Pat Buchanan, Steve Forbes, and Robert Dornan come to mind.

Harold Stassen is also a name which still comes up from time to time in the GOP nominations at this stage.
 

GeographyDude

bguy said:
. . I think the '88 and '92 elections will play out pretty much the same no matter who Bush picks.
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I agree with you as far as the impact of a vice-presidential selection on the election itself.

But . . . if Bush finds a steady eddie type of individual who he both respects and can work with, his actual administration may go better. For example . . .

1) after the victory in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, President Bush may avoid the mistake of calling upon the people of Iraq to rise up and then not providing any back-up,

2) in the 1991 recession which affected a lot of upper-middle-class managerial types who perhaps normally vote Republican, Bush may get engaged earlier. He may be perceived as giving it the good ol' college try.
 

bguy

Donor
GeographyDude said:
I agree with you as far as the impact of a vice-presidential selection on the election itself.

But . . . if Bush finds a steady eddie type of individual who he both respects and can work with, his actual administration may go better. For example . . .

1) after the victory in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, President Bush may avoid the mistake of calling upon the people of Iraq to rise up and then not providing any back-up,

2) in the 1991 recession which affected a lot of upper-middle-class managerial types who perhaps normally vote Republican, Bush may get engaged earlier. He may be perceived as giving it the good ol' college try.
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It's possible I suppose but given that Bush and Dole did not like each other, I doubt Bush would be seeking Vice President Dole's counsel on anything important.
 

Polish Eagle

bguy said:
Per Jon Meacham's biography on Bush, the final decision was between Quayle and Bob Dole. If Quayle disqualifies himself, and Bush just can't get past his dislike for Dole, then apparently the other candidates that were seriously considered were Elizabeth Dole, Jack Kemp, Pete Domenici, Alan Simpson, and John Danforth. I think the '88 and '92 elections will play out pretty much the same no matter who Bush picks.
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Pete Domenici is an interesting choice for what I have in mind, but would his illegitimate son be a liability that rules him out, or would he try to keep that a secret to secure the nomination?
 

GeographyDude

bguy said:
It's possible I suppose but given that Bush and Dole did not like each other, I doubt Bush would be seeking Vice President Dole's counsel on anything important.
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Then he has to find someone besides Dole. Some Vice Presidents, perhaps starting with Rockefeller and Mondale have been assets in actual governance during their tenure.
 

David T

"In addition to Mr. Dole and Mr. Quayle, others under consideration are Senators Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico and Alan Simpson of Wyoming, Representative Jack F. Kemp of New York and Elizabeth Hanford Dole, the former Transportation Secretary." http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/13/u...mate-list-doles-quayle-and-3-others-stay.html

One interesting idea (but I don't know that Bush ever really seriously considered him: the *other* Republican senator from Indiana, Richard Lugar. "A former press secretary for Indiana Sen. Richard G. Lugar distributed a letter entitled '12 Reasons Why Dick Lugar Would be a Good VP Pick.' Lugar thought the letter swell." http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-14/news/mn-762_1_george-bush/2
 

GeographyDude

I have heard Kemp called "loquacious," which I think was one reason Bush didn't go with him.

I think Kemp was a bit of an ideologue who liked to preach on his favorite issues, and not so much a team player who would help a president pursue what was important to him.
 
Jonathan

Jonathan

Why hasn't anyone nominated Dick Cheney? He has experience as House Minority Whip and Representative of Wyoming, former White House Chief of Staff to Gerald Ford
 
Jonathan

Jonathan

OldNavy1988 said:
Would it be ASB for Bush and Dubya to have run together and be a Father-Son Presidency?
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Jeb who was Secretary of Commerce for Florida at the time, would have been a better pick for H. W. Bush, although is it against the constitution to run with family, after Robert Kennedy being the last family in the Cabinet.
 

GeographyDude

I don't think it's part of the Constitution, maybe a strictly federal law passed since the time of JFK regarding undue influence, nepotism, etc.
 
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