Selecting Vice-Presidential Nominees

[LastMcGovernite]

It is curious to note how, over the past 60 years, while the presidential nomination became a more democratic process, the vice-presidential selection became more dictatorial. Prior to 1940 or so, both the top and the bottom of the ticket were chosen by convention delegates, often hand-picked by governors or party bosses.  Thus, choosing both the President and Veep nominees became the province of painstaking compromise, political intrigue, and smoke-filled rooms.  The primary system did much to keep this to a minimum, particularly after the McGovern Commission ruled for more extensive and numerous primaries, and racial, gender, and age balance among the delegates.   

Yet, as primaries became more and more determinant, a converse process happened with the Vice-President.  Slowly, conventions merely deferred to the candidate's wishes.  The choice of running-mate became the perogative the candidate himself (although, no doubt, informed by consultation with party leaders, considerations of geographic and ideological balance, and information culled from a vetting process).  The first case I can think of is in 1940, when FDR insisted on having Henry A. Wallace onboard as the Veep, while Adlai Stevenson's 1956 decision to let the convention choose his running-mate was the last time a candidate didn't chose for himself.

So, while presidential candidates have to mingle, and press the flesh, in the dullest Iowa farm towns, the snowiest Main Streets in New Hampshire, and the sweltering shantytowns of South Carolina, Veeps, not having proven their mettle, are simply awarded a berth on the ticket.  Granted, some candidates chose primary opponents- Kerry chose Edwards, Obama chose Biden, and Reagan chose Bush, after all.  But most do not- witness Bush choosing Quayle, McCain opting for Palin, Carter selecting Mondale, Mondale picking Ferraro, Gore annointing Lieberman, McGovern picking Eagleton and Shriver (although after Muskie, Humphrey, and everybody else he ran against turned him down) etc.


The question I'd like to put under consideration is this: is this process insufficiently democratic?  Should an alternative- say, Vice-Presidential primaries, or rewarding the Vice-Presidential slot to whomever places second in convention voting, be considered?  Or should candidates choose Vice-Presidents during primary season itself, so voters know exactly what they are getting? 

Or, does the president, who must chose a cabinet, supereme court judges, etc., have the proper perogative to select his immediate successor, with a token convention vote ratifying his decision?

[LastMcGovernite]

Sorry- this probably should have gone under the Electoral Reform board.  Mea culpa