When talking about vice president picks for any candidate, the question usually comes down to one of two questions: who do the people want as VP, and who will help the presidential candidate win more?
And while these can mean the same thing, depending on the wording, they can give drastically different answers.
Take the potential VP picks for GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, for instance.
In a recent Harvard-Harris poll, citizens were asked both.
As to who would “you like to see Donald Trump select as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2024 presidential election,” the answer was clear: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the top pick.
From the sample of about 1,660 registered voters, DeSantis led with 12 percent, followed by Tim Scott of South Carolina with nine percent.
Broken down further, 23 percent who wanted DeSantis were Republicans, 4 percent were Democrats, and seven percent identified as independent or other.
But when asked who would “help” Trump the most in winning the election, the answer was vastly different.
In this case, Republicans said Vivek Ramaswamy would help more. But Democrats, independents, and Hispanics said Scott would.
Scott was chosen by ten percent of Democrats, 12 percent of Republicans, and five percent independent/other.
What this says is that while DeSantis might be the favored among those within the party, Scott may be the better choice on a broader scale. And as we all know, sometimes it’s that broader scale that matters most.
After all, Trump is already favored among GOP members. Chances are, if someone is a fan of DeSantis, they are also already committed to voting for Trump. Meanwhile, more on-the-fence voters like Never Bidens, independents, and minorities may need someone like Scott, who appeals to them for different reasons to officially decide on Trump.
Of course, DeSantis and Scott weren’t the only names mentioned. As I hinted at, Ramaswamy is also a top choice, as is former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, in that order.
Well, we just have to see who Trump chooses now…
