What would have been the best VP pick for the both candidates

[OSR stands with Israel]

in each election since 1972. Do it based on how you think it would have helped the campaign and not how good they would be at being VP. If its an incumbent only list them if they were considering dropping their vp from the ticket


1972:

George McGovern- Frank Church: He would have helped McGovern win more states

1976:

Jimmy Carter- Henry Jackson: Help Carter do well out west
Gerald Ford- Ronald Reagan: Probably would have won the election for  Ford as that pick would shore up turnout among conservatives and flip maybe texas to the Republicans

1980:

Ronald Reagan- George Bush: Perfect Pick , helped easy doubts if he would be experienced enough on foreign policy , and there is really no way Reagan could have done better then he did

1984:

Walter Mondale-Gary Hart: Probably would help Mondale do better among moderates and young voters, he still loses in a landslide but not as bad

1988:

George Bush - Jack Kemp: Would have given economic conservatives more reasons to vote for Bush, and people wouldnt be scared by his toally unqualified VP pick

Micheal Dukakis- Llyod Bentsen : It was a good pick but it was Dukakis alone what turned this from what should have been a close Bush victory to a landslide electorally for Bush .


1992:

George Bush(I believe he was considering dropping Quayle )- Jack Kemp- May have brought many Perot voters back to the Republican column

Bill Clinton- Chuck Robb: I believe he would have flipped Virginia and North Carolina, though Clinton loses Tennessee with this pick

1996:

Bob Dole- George Voinovich :I believe he could have flipped Ohio , Missouri , and Kentucky to the GOP

2000:

George W Bush-  Tom Ridge: Ridge would have given Bush PA , and maybe WI which would mean Florida wouldnt have been so critical .

Al Gore- Dick Gephardt :This pick likely keeps WV in the dem column and maybe flips even Missouri thus giving Gore the presidency without Florida .

2004:

George W Bush(I believe he considered dropping Cheney)- Rudy Giuliani : I believe this pick would not only make the North east more competitive , due to Rudy popularity at the time he likely would have helped Bush do much better among independents .

John Kerry- Dick Gephardt : Same reason as above , Gephardt on the ticket likely results in Kerry winning Ohio and Iowa thus the presidency .


2008:

John McCain- Tim Palwenty:Keeps midwest in play longer
Barack Obama- Evan Bayh: Likely flips Missouri and Georgia to dem column

2012:

Mitt Romeny - Marco Rubio: Flips Florida and Colorado to GOP column allowing Romney to put more resources in Ohio and Virginia .

2016:

Trump- Mike Pence: Out of the ones who were interested in joining he was the safest

Hillary Clinton - Sherrod Brown: Helps rally liberal base behind Hillary, and keep the midwest Dem

[Mr. Smith]

1972:

McGovern: Terry Sanford (Sufficiently liberal, appeases LBJ better, AND makes some effort at The South)
Nixon: Gerald Ford (Switch to Ford earlier)

1976:

Ford: Keep Rockefeller (he could've possibly retained Pennsylvania by the east side, and would've kept New York...he only needed New York for goodness sake)
Carter: Church (Would've better in The West, satiated the liberal base far better and better recognition after The Church Committee...hell, maybe 1980 would've turned out differently)


1984:

Mondale: Reubin Askew (Try to keep The South a bit more competitive)

1988:

Bush Sr: George Dukemeijian (Hold the coattails in The West better)

Dukakis: John Melcher (Use to take advantage of the Farming Crisis and flip over places like South Dakota and Montana, and boost Bay Area turnout to flip California)


1996:

Dole: Someone younger than Kemp anyway, not sure whom.

2000:

Gore: Bob Graham (wouldn't have lost Florida and likely kept Tennessee too)
Bush: Tom Ridge (do better in the Mid-Atlantic, maybe even flip Pennsylvania)

2004:

Kerry: Not John Edwards

2008:

McCain: Lindsey Graham (Might've at least retained North Carolina and Indiana this way)

2012

Romney: Rubio

2016

Clinton: Warren

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

2000

Gore-Graham would have carried FL

2004

Kerry-Gephardt would have carried OH

2016

Clinton-Perez would have carried Pennsylvania

[Lord Admirale]

1972:
McGovern - Terry Sanford or Kevin White
Nixon - John Connally

1976:
Carter - Mondale was fine I guess
Ford - Keep Rockefeller or run with Ronald Reagan

1980:
Reagan - Howard Baker

1984:
Mondale - Fritz Hollings

1988:
Dukakis - Bentsen was also fine, Dukakis was the problem.
Bush - George Deukmejian, would've kept California red for longer

1992:
Clinton - Gore was fine
Bush - Jack Kemp

1996:
Dole - Colin Powell

2000:
Gore - Bob Graham
Bush - Christine Todd Whitman

2004:
Kerry - Bill Richardson

2008:
Obama - Biden was perfect for Obama
McCain - Tim Pawlenty

2012:
Romney - Chris Christie or Susana Martinez

2016:
Hillary - Sherrod Brown
Trump - Rand Paul

[Kingpoleon]

McGovern: Terry Sanford or Ted Kennedy
Carter: Birch Bayh/Mo Udall
Ford: Howard Baker
Reagan: Howard Baker/Gerald Ford
Anderson: Eugene McCarthy
Mondale: Gary Hart
Dukakis: Paul Tsongas
H. W. Bush: Howard Baker
B. Clinton: Sam Nunn/Reubin Askew
Perot: Ron Paul/Colin Powell
Dole: Colin Powell
Perot: Colin Powell/Ralph Nader
W. Bush: Christine Todd Whitman
Gore: Sam Nunn
Kerry: Mary Landrieu/Howard Dean
McCain: Joe Lieberman
Obama: Howard Dean/Evan Bayh
Romney: Condoleeza Rice/Mitch Daniels
H. Clinton: James Stavridis
Trump: Scott Brown

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

1972:
McGovern - Terry Sanford or Kevin White
Nixon - John Connally

1976:
Carter - Mondale was fine I guess
Ford - Keep Rockefeller or run with Ronald Reagan

1980:
Reagan - Howard Baker

1984:
Mondale - Fritz Hollings

1988:
Dukakis - Bentsen was also fine, Dukakis was the problem.
Bush - George Deukmejian, would've kept California red for longer

1992:
Clinton - Gore was fine
Bush - Jack Kemp

1996:
Dole - Colin Powell

2000:
Gore - Bob Graham
Bush - Christine Todd Whitman

2004:
Kerry - Bill Richardson

2008:
Obama - Biden was perfect for Obama
McCain - Tim Pawlenty

2012:
Romney - Chris Christie or Susana Martinez

2016:
Hillary - Sherrod Brown
Trump - Rand Paul

Kerry already considered Bill Richardson and the gov was already catholic and two catholics on ticket were too much for culturally conservative Ohio.  Gephardt was considered but pulled back