While Democrats are looking at a winning strategy to run Donald Trump out of The White House, at least one Republican is considering the possibility of a presidential unity ticket.
Politics
Former Republican governor John Kasich of Ohio, who ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 but lost to Donald Trump, is concocting a plan to win in a second attempt. Interestingly, his plan is not at all partisan but unifies both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Here’s his plan:
Kasich and former Democratic governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado will each run for their party’s nomination with the intent of the winner selecting the other as vice-president. For example, if Kasich were to win the GOP nomination, he would name Hickenlooper as his running mate. If Hickenlooper were to win the Democratic nomination, he would select Kasich as his running mate. In the event neither wins their party’s nomination, they would form a third ticket and run as independents in the general election.
Hickenlooper announced his candidacy on Monday. Now, it’s up to Kasich to enter the GOP race and implement the plan.
A potential Kasich-Hickenlooper 2020 or Hickenlooper-Kasich 2020 presidential unity ticket would not only be a way to increase their long-shot odds for the presidency but would be a way to bring the country together following 4 years of Donald Trump.
Could it work?
Critics say a presidential unity ticket could not work since the “base” of each party would never allow it. However, a recent Unite America poll of New Hampshire voters found that 61% would be in favor of their preferred candidate choosing a running mate from the other party. That percentage includes 67% of Democrats, 65% of independents and 51% of Republicans.
Interestingly, a unifying political ticket is not a new idea. The late Republican Sen. John McCain seriously considered picking Democrat-turned-independent senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate in 2008. The only reason it didn’t happen is that aides advised against it and warned it would divide the party. McCain reluctantly selected Sarah Palin to run with him, a decision he later admitted to regretting.
“My gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had,” McCain wrote in his 2018 memoir,
“If Trump is re-elected or if the Democrats win back the White House, then what? There is no way that either party working alone can heal our country. The new politics we seek begins with leadership that lives up to our national motto, “E pluribus unum” — out of many, one.” – USA Today
Could a presidential unity ticket of Kasich-Hickenlooper 2020 or any combination of a Democrat and Republican win a general election? More importantly, could such a ticket actually govern in Washington with Democrats and Republicans still in control of a partisan Congress? Or is the entire idea a colossal waste of time that runs the risk of splitting the vote (should they run as independents) and handing Donald Trump another 4 years in the Oval Office?
“Could a presidential unity ticket of Kasich-Hickenlooper 2020 or any combination of a Democrat and Republican win a general election?” – DJ
I do like the idea of a ‘Unity ticket” depending on the two people running together.
Regular readers may recall how often I’ve expressed my positive opinion of John Kasich. But I could never vote for him as a candidate representing the Republican party. If, however, Kasich was to run for president as part of a “Unity ticket” and he picks a good Dem candidate as his VP then I’d really have to sit-up and take notice.
Btw- I don’t think Hickenlooper is the answer. But John Kasich and Beto O’Rourke.??? Now that would be a ticket I would seriously look at.
Heck, I’ll even go so far as to say Kasich and perhaps Amy Klobuchar???