Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CMC Senior Theses CMC Student Scholarship 2012 How to Pick a Running Mate: Rethinking the Vice Presidential Selection Process and Criteria Jake A. Petzold Claremont McKenna College Recommended Citation Petzold, Jake A., "How to Pick a Running Mate: Rethinking the Vice Presidential Selection Process and Criteria" (2012). CMC Senior Theses. Paper 457. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/457 This Open Access Senior Thesis is brought to you by Scholarship@Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in this collection by an authorized administrator. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. CLAREMONT McKENNA COLLEGE HOW TO PICK A RUNNING MATE: RETHINKING THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR JOHN J. PITNEY, JR. AND DEAN GREGORY HESS BY JAKE A. PETZOLD FOR SENIOR THESIS SPRING 2012 APRIL 23, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter I 8 Jimmy Carter and a New Selection Process Chapter II 42 Bolster, Not Balance: Rethinking the Selection Metaphor Chapter III 59 Competence and the “First Presidential Decision” Chapter IV 78 Conclusion Bibliography 84 Appendices 86 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank several individuals for their counsel and support throughout my work on this thesis. My reader, Professor Jack Pitney was an invaluable resource for his help in pursuing research and developing my thoughts into words, pages, and chapters. Professors Thomas P. Kim and Niklas Frykman also gave me helpful guidance in moments of doubt. Countless friends and classmates have eased the load through support or advice. I would like to recognize three in particular. Clare Riva provided more help and encouragement than she knows over our 70-plus dinners together at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum this year.