The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate in 2008 caused controversy due to her questionable political and personal record. There were rumors that both McCain and Barack Obama might change their vice presidential picks, but the process is difficult and rarely enforced. The only times it has happened were in 1824 and 1972. Changing a VP pick during a campaign could be seen as an admission of a mistake in the initial screening process.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Republican presidential candidate John McCain surprised a number of voters by nominating a relatively unknown female politician from Alaska as his candidate. Governor Sarah Palin was chosen from several top names in the Republican party, including Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and independent Joe Lieberman. Palin’s media scrutiny has revealed a somewhat questionable political and personal record, from her involvement in the firing of an official who refused to fire her former brother-in-law to family disputes. These revelations caused some to question the scrutiny process itself before McCain made his final selection for the vice presidency.
There have been suggestions that the controversies surrounding Palin could force McCain to reconsider his selection and change his vice presidential pick before the general election in November. Likewise, there were rumors that Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, might have done the same. Given the surge of the Republican ticket in the polls following his selection of his vice presidential candidate, especially among female voters, some thought Obama might change Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick. Some have speculated that Biden could be replaced with Hillary Clinton to attract female voters.
Both the Democratic and Republican parties have procedures in place to change the vice presidential pick, but they have rarely been enforced and are notoriously difficult to execute. Essentially, a mini-convention made up of party leaders from all 50 states would meet to vote to replace a VP who resigned or died before the general election.
Historically, this scenario has only happened twice. During the elections of 1824, the vice presidential candidate Albert Gallatin was unceremoniously discharged from the Democratic-Republican Party, but this decision was not in the hands of the presidential candidate. Until 1940, vice presidential candidates were selected by party members, not presidential candidates. The winner of the majority of votes would be designated the vp candidate, regardless of presidential candidate compatibility or geographic balance. The two candidates would simply campaign together as representatives of their party.
In 1972, Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern polled several candidates for the vp slot, eventually establishing Senator Thomas Eagleton. Eagleton accepted the nomination, but it was only minimally investigated. He did not disclose the fact that he had voluntarily entered a mental hospital three times during the early 1960s and received electroshock therapy for nervous breakdowns. He had also been prescribed several antidepressants, including Thorazine. When details of Eagleton’s depression reached the mainstream press, McGovern had no choice but to reconsider appointing him.
After approaching several prominent Democratic party members, McGovern eventually convinced a brother-in-law of Kennedy’s named Sargent Shriver to accept the nomination for vice president. A mini-convention of party members largely supported this decision, although some voted for Eagleton as a show of support at a difficult time. McGovern and Shriver eventually lost the election to incumbent Nixon and Agnew, but a landslide re-election was generally expected in 1972.
It is indeed possible for a presidential candidate to change the choice of vice president, but there would likely be a heavy political price to pay for the privilege. Many voters see the vice presidential nomination process as an initial test of a presidential candidate’s ability to make important decisions. Unless the vice presidential candidate chooses to resign voluntarily or becomes incapacitated, switching a vice presidential candidate during the campaign could be perceived as an admission that a mistake or miscalculation was made during the initial screening process for the original vice presidential candidate.
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