Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who was considered as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, described what the vetting process for running mates was like as Vice President Harris prepares to announce her pick.
“It’s a tough process,” Castro said. X said in his post.
Former Obama administration officials said they were notified that they were under consideration in mid-June 2016, and that search teams were assigned two or three candidates each to conduct the investigation.
He said each candidate had to fill out a questionnaire that delved into various aspects of their background, and the teams created a portfolio for each candidate they were considering.
“Once the papers were submitted, each candidate sat down with the vetting team for several hours to answer detailed questions,” he wrote. “They were candid and to the point, and attempted to probe the candidates’ backgrounds for political flaws (memories of Sarah Palin’s embarrassing antics loomed large in this election). They also asked questions designed to back the candidates into a corner, such as: ‘May I now take your phone (pointing at it) and look inside?'” They never actually took it.”
Ms. Palin was chosen as the running mate of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2008. She immediately came under intense scrutiny for herself and her family, including her teenage daughter, who was pregnant at the time, and the McCain campaign was forced to answer questions about how thoroughly the Alaska Republican had been vetted.
“The vetting process was completely thorough,” McCain said at the time (though years later he acknowledged he regretted choosing her).
Castro said that after each candidate was interviewed, they had follow-up interviews and the list was narrowed down to six or seven candidates, after which Clinton interviewed each of them.
He noted that Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D) was ultimately selected as the nominee five weeks after the vetting process began.
“In 2016, there was speculation that Clinton might choose a black or Latino man to balance the field. This year, the conventional wisdom is that she will choose a white man. The good news is that there are some great options for VP Harris,” Castro wrote.
“By selecting Vance, Trump has doubled down on his base and may have become less competitive with independents than he would have been if he had chosen a different candidate,” he added. “This gives VP Harris considerable leeway to choose a running mate — progressive or centrist — who is compatible with her and will help her govern effectively, not just win the election.”
Among the candidates Harris is considering for the No. 2 spot are Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D), Sen. Mark Kelly (D) and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), and she interviewed with them over the weekend.
A Harris campaign official said she is considering some of the same characteristics that were used in Biden’s 2020 selection process in evaluating candidates, including shared values like protecting democracy and fighting for the middle class.
There are many calculations that go into a presidential candidate’s choice of running mate. For example, one key question is how the candidate can help expand the electoral map. In that regard, both Shapiro and Kerry live in battleground states.
“Obviously, the most important thing here is defeating Donald Trump, and she wants to get someone who can help her win. She’ll also be saying, ‘Can this person be president when I’m gone?'” said James Hamilton, a former lawyer who has assisted with the vetting process for vice presidential nominees for presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. He said in an interview with NPR.
“She’s going to be thinking about chemistry because if she’s unhappy with her running mate, that’s going to show up in the campaign.”
