The Secret Lives of VP Hopefuls: A Deep Dive into the Vetting Process
As Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris vets potential running mates, spare a thought for the contenders undergoing a process likened by one past participant to “a colonoscopy performed with a telescope.”
Candidates face a barrage of questions, ranging from whether they’ve ever paid for sex or an abortion to whether they’ve had a homosexual encounter. These are just a few examples from the exhaustive questionnaires previous U.S. vice-presidential nominees have had to complete.
Potential running mates for Harris must answer up to 200 questions before being seriously considered. Campaign officials and volunteer lawyers, sacrificing billable hours for networking and prestige, typically have about a month to unearth every grain of dirt they can find.
With a looming paperwork deadline, the Harris campaign has mere days to finalize a running mate, assessing around a dozen contenders including Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Mark Kelly.
Pete Buttigieg, another potential pick, was asked if contenders are aware they’re being vetted. With a smile, he replied, “Yeah, you know.”
Unlike cabinet picks, vice-presidential candidates don’t undergo FBI background checks, making the vetting process particularly rigorous. Vetters scrutinize tax returns, medical histories, private social media accounts, and even the social media posts of the candidates’ children and grandchildren. Any hint of marital infidelity or other skeletons in the closet will be dissected.
Jim Hamilton, a Democratic lawyer who has vetted candidates for John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, revealed that all notes from the process are destroyed to maintain strict confidentiality. He managed over 200 lawyers during Hillary Clinton’s search for a running mate, eventually leading to the selection of Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Hamilton noted that everyone has something in their background they’d prefer to keep private, but once committed to the process, candidates are surprisingly candid.
Evan Bayh, a finalist for Barack Obama’s running mate in 2008, recalls the procedure taking nearly three months and likened it to a “colonoscopy performed with a telescope.” His vetting team even interviewed his wife and father. Television crews soon camped outside his house, and he was shocked to hear an MSNBC host comment on his breakfast.
Bayh was asked about a false internet rumor that he had received psychiatric treatment. Jokingly, he replied that if the process took any longer, it might become true. The list of contenders was narrowed down to Bayh and Joe Biden, with Bayh meeting Obama for a thorough discussion. Obama assured him that nothing in his background was concerning but asked if there was anything undiscovered. Bayh mentioned a few family matters, which Obama found minor.
Ultimately, Biden was chosen. Campaign manager David Plouffe later quoted Obama saying the decision was a “coin toss” between Bayh and Biden. The vetting process is thorough, with questions sometimes revealing potential red flags. For example, Al Gore struggled to name any friends outside his family and two congressmen during his vetting, which concerned some officials.
The vetting process has evolved from a largely informal procedure to a rigorous and invasive one due to past selection disasters. In 1972, George McGovern quickly dropped his running mate after discovering a history of electroshock treatment for clinical depression. This incident and another involving Geraldine Ferraro’s husband’s financial dealings in 1984 led to a more detailed scrutiny of candidates and their families.
Despite the thorough vetting, some candidates who excel in the vetting process may falter on the political stage. Sarah Palin impressed vetters with her decisiveness on a hypothetical national security crisis, but later struggled in the political spotlight.
Even with rigorous vetting, the final decision rests with the nominee. George HW Bush chose little-known Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate in 1988 based on instinct, despite Quayle later being seen as a liability. The vetting process ensures that the potential running mate can withstand the intense scrutiny that comes with being a heartbeat away from the presidency.
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The Secret Lives of VP Hopefuls: A Deep Dive into the Vetting Process
