• nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    VP picks are usually diversity hires. They’re chosen specifically for who they are (and who they can appeal to) rather than anything they can actually do. How many times has a presidential candidate from the North east chosen a running mate from the south to appeal to southern voters? It’s basically a tradition. The thing that makes it racist is to only notice when non-white people are involved.

    • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      The 12th amendment mandates the vp and president inhabit different states. That is a form of diversity hire, by constitutional requirement

      • ImADifferentBird@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        3 months ago

        Technically, it doesn’t mandate that. But it does mandate that no elector can vote for both a President and Vice President from their own state, so it would open up the possibility of a split administration. Which is why parties avoid it.

        It was amusing to see people float Gavin Newsom as Harris’s VP pick for that reason. With that rule, and the outsized number of Electoral votes that CA has, it’d practically guarantee a Harris/Vance administration if she won.

        • samus12345@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Yet another severely outdated law we have. Although getting rid of the EC would also take care of that problem.

          • Wiz@midwest.social
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            3 months ago

            No, they would do the Dick Cheney thing and say, “Ackshully I live in a different state now.”