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Muskie on the opposing '68 ticket.
In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton carried Gore's home base of Tennessee by 5 points. Given that Tennessee had voted Republican in the three prior elections -- by a sizable 16-point margin in 1988 -- Gore's presence on the ticket was vital to the Democrats' victory in this state.
Ditto in 1996. Clinton-Gore carried Tennessee again, but this time by only two points. Without a Tennessean on the ticket, the state would likely have voted GOP. (The Volunteer State's Republican trend was capped four years later when, even with a Tennessean at the top of the 2000 Democratic ticket, it was not enough to keep the state out of the GOP's clutches.)
In addition to these instances, there were also two cases where a vice presidential selection may have come close to swinging a state, but ultimately just missed the mark. Nixon's narrow loss of Maryland in the 1968 election is one example. The other happened two decades earlier. The second spot on the 1948 Republican ticket was filled by Gov. Earl Warren of California, and Dewey-Warren came within one-half of 1 percent of carrying California. Close but, as they say, no cigar. Had Democrat Truman lost the state, he would still have won his legendary come-from-behind national victory, but the electoral vote margin would have been perilously close.
Though vice-presidential selection was once seen as a way to balance a presidential candidate's philosophy or region with a running mate who represented something entirely different, it has shifted in recent years as vice presidents have taken on a more serious role in governing and have acquired an increased visibility. In that sense, a nominee's appeal in any one state is far less important than his or her ability to reinforce the broader message and image of the candidate, as well as of the party as a whole.
Nonetheless, if a vice-presidential hopeful has strong qualifications and the ability to deliver a few extra electoral votes, that's the best of both worlds. After all, when things get very close, every state makes a difference.
Ronald Faucheux is an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He is the author of "Running for Office" (M. Evans & Co.) and a contributor at large to Campaigns & Elections
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