In an in-depth piece titled “How Donald Trump Picked His Running Mate,” the New York Times on Wednesday unearthed some of the back story on the process that ultimately led to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence getting the nod. But for Alabamians, the most interesting insight may have been that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) — a longtime Trump ally — was not the only Alabamian who was considered for the slot; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was as well.
Five women made Trump’s initial list of potential VPs, four of which were either sitting governors or senators.
The last woman on the list was former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — a somewhat surprising inclusion, given Trump’s current disdain for the Iraq war with which Bush’s closest foreign-policy adviser will forever be associated. People “loosely affiliated” with the campaign, as Rice’s chief of staff Georgia Godfrey put it, paid a call to Rice and were informed that she had no interest in the job.
Rice, a Birmingham, Alabama, native who currently resides in California, has rebuffed numerous overtures to return to politics.
A poll released earlier this year showed Rice receiving the highest level of support of any potential candidate to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.). The L.A. Times called her the GOP’s “dream candidate,” but she decided to remain on faculty at Stanford University.
“I’m quite content to spend my life helping young people find themselves, I’ve had my fill of politics,” she said late last year. “I’m a very happy university professor… the best thing about being a university professor is that you see young people as they’re being shaped and molded toward their own future and you have a chance to be a part of that.”
As for Sessions, he made it further along in the Trump veepstakes and was included, along with five other individuals, in the final vetting process, which was conducted by Washington lawyer A.B. Culvahouse.
“Sessions, was a known ally,” the Times said of Alabama’s junior senator, “but, as a senator from the red state of Alabama, brought nothing to the ticket” as far as the electoral map was concerned.
“I was flattered to be vetted and go through the process,” Sessions told Yellowhammer by phone on Tuesday from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
He also had high praise for Pence.
“He’s a good man; he has a good heart,” said Sessions. “He led the conservative group in the House–the Republican Study Committee–so he knows what it takes to stand up to the Leadership. He ran again Boehner for Speaker. That’s a gutsy thing to do. The guy’s got guts and his values are solid. He’ll be an asset.”
According to the Times, Donald Trump, Jr., initially pursued Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the VP slot on behalf of the campaign.
“(Do you) have any interest in being the most powerful vice president in history?” The Times reports Kasich was asked.
When Kasich’s adviser asked how this would be the case, Donald Jr. explained that his father’s vice president would be in charge of domestic and foreign policy.
Then what, the adviser asked, would Trump be in charge of?
“Making America great again” was the casual reply.
(…)
But Kasich effectively removed himself from the list by telling Trump in a phone conversation at the end of May that a joint ticket would be like two corporations with completely different philosophies and styles trying to merge.
(h/t NYT)
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