Pinstripe Politics: Wanna Be VP?
My friend e-mailed me this article the other day... the newspaper asked all of the US Senators not running for President whether or not they would want to be Vice President. Here are some of the serious, funny, and/or confusing answers (the complete list can be seen here... including Biden's answer.):
Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
“I would say ‘No, Hillary.’ ”Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
“We already have a vice president from Wyoming. So we’ll have to see if Sen. McCain asks me to chair his selection committee. That seems to work well. It certainly seemed to work well for the last guy from Wyoming.”Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
“It’s presumptuous to even speculate about that kind of thing. But I suspect that’s not the sort of thing you say no to.Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.)“I would be honored to be asked. I’ve got to appraise the position in considering it. But I haven’t gone to the step of saying whether I would or wouldn’t at this point … I’d probably take away from the ticket, too. There’s always pros and cons. I’m strong pro-life, pro-marriage, and some people would say, ‘Well, I don’t like that.’ But really, people vote for president. Not vice president. I think vice president can hurt you more than it can help you. I can’t remember any time in my lifetime where I voted for a president because of the vice presidential nominee.”Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)
“No, I can already preside over the Senate, and I do not enjoy spending a lot of time at ‘undisclosed locations.’ ”Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
“Yes. Sign me up. I’ve been kidding people for years: The hours are better, the wages are just as good — whoever heard of a vice president getting shot at? — and it’s a great opportunity to travel. And actually since time has gone by, the job is robust … So sure. Anybody here would, if they’re going to be honest. The chances are slim to none. But I promise you, I would deliver all three of Delaware’s electoral votes.”Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.)
“No. I’m up for reelection and I’ve got the guy who should be vice president. He’s my governor [Tim Pawlenty (R)]. My governor is my candidate.”Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.)“No. I don’t like going to funerals.”Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
“No, I’d have Jon Stewart stand in for me. Jon Stewart. That’s my guy.”Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)
“Are you kidding? Every senator would accept that offer. My guess is that almost every senator looks at themselves in the mirror in the morning and sees either a future president or vice president.”Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
“I plan to stick with my current job until I get the hang of it.”Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
“The chances of that are so remote that I’m more likely to be hit by an asteroid.”
You can tell who really, really wants to be picked (ahem, Brownback) and who is more grounded in reality. Interesting and pointless - my kind of politics!
Labels: Pinstripe Politics
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