Profs Reach No Consensus Over Potential V.P. Nominees

Although many political insiders have touted Sen. John Glenn (D-Oh.) as having the inside track in the vice presidential sweepstakes, there is still no general consensus over who should be the number two choice on the Democratic ticket.

And there is certainly no consensus among Harvard politicos as to whom George Bush and Michael S. Dukakis would choose as their prospective vice presidents.

While the search on the Democratic side has by all indications been narrowed down to seven candidates, including three of Dukakis' primary opponents, University pundits expressed disagreement over who the likely Democratic nominee should pick.

Because of Dukakis's inexperience in dealing with Congress and the general perception that he is weak on foreign policy and defense issues, Assistant Professor of Government Mark A. Peterson said that Glenn, Sen Albert Gore, Jr. '69 (D-Tenn.), or Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-Ind.) would be desirable running mates since they make up for these apparent shortcomings.

"The major thing on the Dukakis side is that he lacks Washington experience, and I'm not sure if [first-term Florida Senator Robert Graham] has enough experience on Capitol Hill," Peterson said. "That makes some people in Washington like Lee Hamilton."

"Of the three I've mentioned, the sleeper is Lee Hamilton," Peterson said. Despite his lack of name recognition, "he's got foreign policy and congressional experience," Peterson said.

But other Harvard professors said that Dukakis'running-mate should counterbalance theMassachusetts governor's strengths in the liberalNortheast with qualities that play better tomoderate and conservative voters in the South.

"One thing the Democrats tend to do is put twoNorthern liberals on the ticket, and when they dothat they get about 40 percent of the vote," saidUniversity Professor Sidney Verba.

However, that "doesn't necessarily mean goingSouth" to look for a running mate, said Verba, whorecommended that Dukakis choose among Glenn, Goreand Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.)

"I would assume that Dukakis will choose Goreor Glenn," said Trumbull Professor of AmericanHistory Donald H. Fleming. "Dukakis needs Southernand he needs Midwestern votes. Gore would speak tothe Southern problem, and to the defense andforeign policy questions, while Glenn would helpin the Midwest."

Murrow Professor of Press, Politics and PublicPolicy Marvin Kalb disagreed, suggesting thatDukakis would fare well next November by focusingon a vice presidential nominee who could help himwin major industrial states in the Northeast andMidwest. Kalb, who hosted a series of hour-longinterviews with the primary candidates earlierthis year, said Dukakis has "got to win" New York,New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan andIllinois to have a reasonable chance at beatingBush.

The Other Side of the Coin

The only issue that Harvard pundits seemed toagree on in picking their choices for Bush'srunning mate is that he or she should hail fromKansas.

"I suppose [Bush] would be a very wise man toselect [Sen.] Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas," Kalbsaid. "If you're thinking seriously about doingsomething unusual and something strong, that's theroute you should take."

"As for Bush, [Sen.] Dole would be the mostpresidential-seeming of the possibilities,"Fleming said.

"If I were Bush, I would pick Elizabeth Dole,though I really don't think it will help him withwomen all that much," Verba said. "Nevertheless,she has a lot of very strong features [and] wouldbe a dynamic choice."

Departing from the pack, Peterson said heconsidered it likely that Bush would select arelatively popular governor from a large state,such as governors Thomas Kean of New Jersey,George Deukmejian of California or James Thompsonof Illinois