Choice of running mates crucial to victory

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, JULY 10. In the next several days, the U.S. presidential hopefuls, Mr. George W Bush and Mr. Albert Gore Jr, have an important task to finish - choosing their running mates. And it is one of those initial decisions that could either prove advantageous or come to haunt them in the weeks to come. The ``short list'' is certainly not short, if one takes into account the kind of names that are being bandied about on a daily basis.

It remains to be seen if Mr. Bush, the Texas Governor, will wait until the Republican National Convention to announce his pick. That event does not get under way until July 31 at Philadelphia. And Mr. Gore could technically wait until the middle of next month when the Democrats have their show in Los Angeles. Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Gore have been tightlipped thus far, but that has not stopped speculation.

A running mate is supposed to add weight to the candidacy. It could be in terms of geography; appealing to certain sections of voters; a supportive role in certain policy and legislative areas. But things have happened that do not have to fit the bill - after all, who imagined that the Senior George Bush would pick Mr. Dan Quayle or for that matter Mr. Bill Clinton would settle for Mr. Al Gore in 1992?

The persons who would have been the ideal and still topping the national charts have gracefully bowed out - among them would include Gen. Colin Powell and Senator John McCain for the Republicans and the former Democratic New Jersey Senator, Mr. Bill Bradley. But there are those who believe that the last words have not been said by these personalities and that in politics anything was possible.

In every category - geography, core groups and policy - neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Gore are finding difficulty in identifying potential candidates. If geographically the Mid- Western States are where the election is going to be decided, Mr. Bush could lean on his machine and come up with Mr. John Engler of Michigan or Mr. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin. If the Grand Old Party is keen on getting New York, it could lean on the Governor, Mr. George Pataki; or if the swing State of Pennsylvania is seen crucial, it could be the Governor, Mr. Tom Ridge.

By the same token, if Mr. Bush is keen on getting a woman the ticket, it could well be the former Transportation Secretary, Ms Elizabeth Dole or the Governor of New Jersey, Ms Christine Todd Whitman. But right now, all eyes are on the Governor of Oklahoma, Mr. Frank Keating, who seems to be what Mr. Bush could really want - he is Catholic, has strong anti-abortion credentials and a former crime fighter. Most of all, he is telegenic.

On legislative-policy angle, a name that has been frequently thrown around in the last few days is that of Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, listed at least four strengths of Mr. Hagel: his personal background that included Vietnam duty; a conservative who is well-versed in foreign policy who sits in the Foreign Relations Committee; a channel to Senator John McCain whom he supported in the primaries; and as a person who knows but is not trapped by the politics of Washington D.C.

For his part, Mr. Gore has a wide choice to pick on: if it is the Mid-West that is seen as important, there is Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana or Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois; if California is of concern, there is Governor Gray Davis; if Florida is to be taken or at least give Mr. Bush a run for his money to get 25 electoral college votes, there is Senator Bob Graham.

If Mr. Gore is keen on taking a woman as his running mate, the names often mentioned are that of Ms Dianne Feinstein, Senator from California or the Governor of New Hampshire, Ms Jeanne Shaheen. To shore up or further consolidate progress on the economy, the former Treasury Secretary, Mr. Robert Rubin, has also been seen as a potential running mate.

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