Running Mates
Welcome to Running Mates, our portal for all of our content related to the American vice presidency including our podcast, the 2020 Vice Presidential Tracker, and featured articles on vice presidents new, old, or never to be.
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Running Mates: Episode 17 – 2024 – Vance v. Walz
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes four years later, Running Mates is back to talk about the 2024 vice presidential picks!
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Our 2024 Presidential Election Model is Back!
Biden dropping out caused a lot of modeling chaos but our coconut-adjusted presidential election model is now back up and running!
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Veepmaxxing for Electoral Advantage
How vice presidential candidates boost the margin in their home state and how tickets can maximize the electoral impact of this effect.
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The 2024 (Emergency) Democratic Vice Presidential Power Index
Because who said The Postrider couldn’t do rapid response?
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How Our (Emergency) 2024 Democratic Vice Presidential Power Index Works
We’re about 100 days out from a presidential election, and the Democrats have to build almost an entirely new ticket from scratch. We didn’t think we’d be here either, but luckily we’re never ones to shy away from discussion of …
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When Trump Might Name His Running Mate, and Why He Should Wait
Trump would be wise to wait until the week before the convention, just like most campaigns do.
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Biden Will Not — and Should Not — Drop Harris From the Ticket
How many times do we have to beat this drum?
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Politics Express: the 2024 GOP VP Power Index and the 2024 Veepstakes
Our 2024 Republican Vice Presidential Power Index is live, so Lars and Michael flip spots on the Politics Express podcast as Mike interviews Lars on the intricacies, strengths, shortfalls, and updates to the model from its 2020 Democrat-focused iteration. In …
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The 2024 Republican Vice Presidential Power Index
Use our time-tested tool to pick a given GOP nominee and find their strongest running mate.
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How Our 2024 Republican Vice Presidential Power Index Works
If there is one particular niche we are known for here at The Postrider, it is our religious coverage of vice presidents, the vice presidential selection process, and what goes into a strong vice presidential pick. One of our notable …
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Biden Will Retain Harris as His Running Mate… Obviously?
At the beginning of 2022, President Biden affirmed in a news conference that he would retain Kamala Harris as his running mate when he runs for reelection in 2024. This came on the heels of an op-ed by Thomas Friedman …
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If Trump Runs in 2024, Who Will Be His Running Mate?
In 2019, we ran a piece about President Trump’s upcoming reelection and his relationship with Vice President Mike Pence — who we dubbed “the one man in the administration that President Trump cannot fire.” The article centered on whether or …
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Evaluating Our 2020 Presidential Ratings
With every state now called in the race for the presidency, it’s official: Joe Biden has won the election, becoming the first nominee to successfully unseat an incumbent president in almost 30 years. The Biden ticket featured the first ever …
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Running Mates: Episode 16 – Series Finale – 2020 – Harris v. Pence
In our series finale at the height of the 2020 election, Lars and Michael dive into a year wracked by a presidential impeachment, the coronavirus, and national protests, and explore Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate …
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Running Mates: Episode 15 – 2016 – Pence v. Kaine (Part 2)
In the part two of our 2016 election episode, Lars and Michael unpack their running mate choices for Hillary Clinton, argue about whether keeping Senate seats should be a priority, and end with the big conclusions about the vice presidential …
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Running Mates: Episode 14 – 2016 – Pence v. Kaine (Part 1)
In the part one of our 2016 election episode, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taps Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate, while reality television star and businessman Donald Trump is nominated by the Republican Party and picks …
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Running Mates: Episode 13 – 2012 – Ryan v. Biden
With America still recovering from the Great Recession, Republican nominee Mitt Romney chooses “mini-Mitt” Wisconsin Congressman and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan to hit incumbent President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on the big issue of the day: …
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A Last Look at the VP Picks as Biden’s Decision Looms
We’re finally at the precipice of the moment we’ve spent the entire year talking about: presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick. It’s been a wild year, beginning with a competitive Democratic primary, where we talked about our …
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Running Mates: Episode 12 – 2008 – Biden v. Palin
As unpopular wars rage on, the economy collapses and Lars and Michael delve into Republican nominee John McCain’s miscalculation as he seeks a game changing vice presidential pick in Sarah Palin to counter the historic nomination of Barack Obama, who …
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Running Mates: Episode 11 – 2004 – Edwards v. Cheney
Amidst the War on Terror, President George W. Bush and his VP, Dick Cheney, are up for reelection against Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. In what turns into a presidential contest over their respective military records, patriotism, and foreign policy credentials, …
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Running Mates: Episode 10 – 2000 – Cheney v. Lieberman (Part 2)
In the part two of our 2000 election episode, Lars and Michael discuss who Democratic candidate Al Gore should have put on the ticket instead of Joe Lieberman. They conclude with a broad analysis of the 2000 election, the direction …
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Running Mates: Episode 9 – 2000 – Cheney v. Lieberman (Part 1)
In the part one of our 2000 election episode, the impeached president Bill Clinton’s Vice President Al Gore runs for the presidency and picks Joe Lieberman to try and distance himself from Clinton. Meanwhile, Republicans seek a compassionate conservative and …
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Running Mates: Episode 8 – 1996 – Kemp v. Gore
President Bill Clinton and his vice president, Al Gore, are up for reelection and after a bruising midterm two years prior, Democrats have moved decisively to the center. Republicans face a crisis of confidence and their candidate, Bob Dole chooses …
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Catherine Cortez Masto Would Have Been a Great Running Mate for Biden
Unless you’ve been following this website and our obsession with vice presidential picks, you’re probably not very familiar with Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Cortez Masto’s name started to make headlines after Joe Biden made a pledge to select a …
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Running Mates: Episode 7 – 1992 – Gore v. Quayle
The Cold War has ended and President George H.W. Bush and his vice president, Dan Quayle, are running for reelection in a tough economy. Republicans push Bush to drop Quayle from the ticket but he stays the course to take …
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There are Three New Faces on the VP Tracker, One of Them is Now Biden’s Strongest Running Mate
Veepstakes season may have come early this year, but as you may know, we’ve been tracking the strongest vice presidential picks for all of the potential Democratic candidates for some time. This week, we’ve added a few new names to …
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Running Mates: Episode 6 – 1988 – Bentsen v. Quayle
The Reagan years are coming to an end and his vice president, George H.W. Bush is running for president himself against Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. Lars and Michael discuss Bush’s pick of young Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running …
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Running Mates: Episode 5 – 1984 – Ferraro v. Bush
Walter Mondale figures he needs a game changing vice presidential pick to have any chance against the Reagan-Bush reelection in 1984. Lars and Michael discuss how Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman on a major party presidential ticket, holds up as …
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You Can Now Look at All of the Possible 2020 Presidential Nominees in the VP Tracker
Now that Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee, tracking the strongest vice presidential picks for each potential candidate has lost a bit of its luster. I put out a piece regarding the strongest picks for Biden, but because all …
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Joe Biden’s Strongest Potential Running Mates
Just like that, it’s over. Now that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the Democratic primary, former Vice President Joe Biden begins the march towards his coronation in Milwaukee (maybe) in August as the Democrats’ nominee for president. …
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Running Mates: Episode 4 – 1980 – Bush v. Mondale
With Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale up for reelection, Lars and Michael discuss the foreign policy and economic crises that perpetuate a strong challenge from Ronald Reagan, who placates establishment Republicans by putting George H.W. Bush on the ticket.
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When Will Joe Biden Announce His Running Mate?
Now that he is the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden will begin turning his attention towards uniting the Democratic Party and defeating Donald Trump this autumn. This shift in focus will require him to make an important choice that will …
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Running Mates: Episode 3 – 1976 – Mondale v. Dole
Lars and Michael discuss the first post-Watergate presidential election and how Gerald Ford fails to excite or unite his party by picking Bob Dole as his running mate, while Jimmy Carter manages to capture optimism and credibility with Walter Mondale.
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The Race is Down to Two Candidates. Their Strongest VP Picks Are Almost Identical.
And just like that, what was once the largest primary field in modern history, became what it was always probably destined to be: a slug fest between the moderates and the left, personified respectively by former Vice President Joe Biden …
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Running Mates: Episode 2 – 1972 – Shriver v. Agnew
Lars and Michael discuss Richard Nixon’s deliberation over whether or not to keep his vice president, Spiro Agnew, on the ticket and take a deep dive into the bleak prospects for the Democratic nominee George McGovern and his struggle to …
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Keeping an Eye on Vice Presidential Picks After Iowa and New Hampshire
It took a few days, a lot of miscommunication, a lot of errors, and some late nights, but we finally have the results from both the Iowa Democratic caucuses and the New Hampshire Democratic primary. The Iowa caucuses, the 89th …
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Running Mates: Episode 1 – 1968 – Agnew v. Muskie
Lars and Michael discuss the 1968 running mates in our first full episode. In a divided and tormented nation, Richard Nixon picks Spiro Agnew in an attempt to woo southern voters with a law and order campaign and Hubert Humphrey …
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The 2020 Vice Presidential Tracker
It may feel like the 2020 Democratic primary has been going on forever, but voters will finally have a say in who the eventual nominee will be in under a week at the Iowa caucuses. This first real contest between …
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Running Mates: Introduction
We’re launching a new podcast here at The Postrider as part of our Running Mates project dedicated to the American vice presidency, those who have held it, vied for it, and perhaps are destined for it. The Running Mates podcast will …
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Is the Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Already Running?
2020 is shaping up to be a big year for the two things I love writing most about at The Postrider: the United States Senate, and the vice presidency. And we’re going to have a swath of content featuring both …
