Does Palin have the VP Jinx?

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: July 6, 2009 - 10:20 am

Comments (0) |

From Erika Bolstad in Washington D.C. --

My colleague Steve Thomma, one of McClatchy's White House correspondents, posted this over the weekend on the bureau's Planet Washington blog:

You’ve heard of the SI Jinx? Well, it’s nothing compared to the VP Jinx.

The SI Jinx, of course, is the alleged curse of bad luck that comes when an athlete makes the cover of Sports Illustrated. Well known, and more myth than reality.

But the VP Jinx is another story. With the political implosion that could follow Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s abrupt decision to quit her job, she would make seven politicians in a row whose careers in national politics peaked or otherwise ran into trouble after being tapped to be the vice presidential running mate on what turned out to be a losing ticket.

Most think they’ve jumped into the big time when they are named running mate, thinking they’re in great position to win their party’s presidential nomination the next time around. But not since Walter Mondale did in 1984 has a vice presidential also-ran gone on to win their party’s top nod. Mondale was vice president and vice presidential candidate in 1980 and Democratic nominee four years later.

Of course, he lost 49 states in the general election. But he at least won the nomination.

Consider the modern history: (after the jump)

2008. Republican running mate is Palin. Considered a likely candidate for the nomination in 2012, she stuns the political world this weekend by saying she’ll walk away from her job as governor more than a year before her term is finished;

2004. Democrat running mate is John Edwards, a first term senator from North Carolina. Forgoing what was likely to be a losing bid for a second term, Edwards instead runs for the 2008 presidential nomination _ while having an affair and a love child. He gets swamped in the primaries, and thrown out by his wife.

2000. Democrat running mate is Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, chosen in part because of his independent streak. He runs for the nomination himself in 2004, and quits when he fails to win a single primary. In 2006, he’s defeated in a Democratic primary by a more liberal challenger, then wins a fourth term as an independent. In 2007, he endorses Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

1996. Republican running mate is former Rep. Jack Kemp of New York. Once considered the conservative heir to Ronald Reagan, he runs for the 1988 GOP nomination but fails. After the Dole-Kemp ticket loses the 1996 election, Kemp says the run “whetted my appetite” to run for the 2000 presidential nomination. He does not run.

1992. Republican running mate is Vice President Dan Quayle. After losing, Quayle passes on a chance to run for governor of his home state of Indiana. He launches his bid for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination in April 1999, then drops out by fall of the same year.

1988. Democratic running mate is Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. After losing Bentsen goes back to the Senate, and later serves as Secretary of the Treasury.

1984: Democratic running mate is Rep. Geraldine Ferraro of New York. With the spotlight on her candidate come media questions about her husband’s business practices, which follow her for years. She twice runs for the New York Democratic Senate nomination, losing narrowly in 1992 and by a 2-1 margin in 1998.

In fact, you have to go back all the way to 1920 to find a vice presidential running mate on a losing ticket who went on to win not only his party’s presidential nomination but the presidency itself.

In 1920, Gov. James Cox of Ohio was the Democratic nominee. He went down to defeat, along with his running mate –Assistant Navy Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR, of course, went on to win it all 12 years later.

login or register to post comments