Choosing a running mate
With Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts securing a virtual lock on his party's nomination and President Bush's march to the Republican National Convention a formality, press and pundits have turned their attention to other topics while they wait for the general election race to heat up: running mates.

With President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney already pared, rumors were swirling over whom Kerry would choose as his running mate, even before his main rivals had dropped out of the race.

Historically, however, the person who filled the vice presidential slot wasn't always chosen by the presidential candidate.

Direct Election of the Vice President
"Through the 1800 election the vice president was the second highest vote getter," said American history professor Paul Clemens of Rutgers University. But as political parties began to form, the candidates elected to the presidency and vice presidency began to have less and less in common with each other. In 1796 Federalist John Adams was elected president with Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson, a member of a rival party, as his vice president.

Even when the top two vote getters were from the same party, problems still arose, as in the 1800 election tie between Jefferson and Democratic-Republican Aaron Burr.

"It got thrown into the House of Representatives," Clemens said. After 36 ballots, Jefferson was elected and a bitter Burr became vice president. "It is perhaps one of the greatest moments of our electoral history. From that point on the vice president got negotiated."

In 1804, Congress adopted the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, separating the balloting for president and vice president.

"The president had significant say but there's an attempt to make the vice president look like he was picked by the party," Clemens said. "Teddy Roosevelt, for example, was added, he wasn't McKinley's choice. It's fair to say that it was a process in which the party's wishes were paramount with the president having a veto."

What running mates bring to the ticket
The vice president is elected at the party's nominating conventions. However, the election has become a rubber stamp for the presidential nominee's handpicked candidates -- a policy born out of Franklin D. Roosevelt's threat to reject his party's nomination if they didn't accept his choice of Henry Wallace for vice president. Technically though, if party electors feel strongly enough about a candidate, they can still reject the presidential nominee's suggestion and elect someone else.

Nonetheless, it has typically been the presidential nominee's choice, and how that choice is made depends on the goals of the nominee.

"The motivations have changed over the years," said Professor George Edwards, head of Texas A&M's Presidential Studies program. "John Kennedy selected Lyndon Johnson, someone who could win a state -- Texas -- and appeal to the South. When (Walter) Mondale selected (Geraldine) Ferraro, he was making another kind of statement, not to win New York (Ferraro's home state). When Ronald Reagan selected (George H.W.) Bush, it was unifying the party. (Dan) Quayle was generational. (Al) Gore was different, too. He was not picked for geographic reasons, age reasons, or ideological reasons. He just felt compatible."

According to Edwards, vice presidential picks have mainly been about balancing a ticket.

"You'll notice the one thing I haven't mentioned yet is who could be a good president," Edwards said. "That's hasn't played as prominent a role as many of us would like it to be."

Another factor -- compatibility -- also had been consistently ignored. Because two politicians are running mates does not mean they necessarily get along.

"It's not always the case," Edwards said. "(Richard) Nixon had a certain disdain for (Spiro) Agnew. He used to joke it was his protection against assassination because no one would want Agnew to replace him as president."

However, in recent elections, both leadership and compatibility have been taken into consideration when picking a running mate.

"If you're going to use the vice president in a fundamental advisory capacity, it has to be someone whose advice you'll respect," Edwards said.

According to Edwards, when vice presidents have been in agreement with their presidents, such as Gore was with Bill Clinton, and Cheney has been with George W. Bush, they have been able to play important roles.

"If they're chosen for an ideological balance, then they won't be on the same wavelength, and then not be likely to play a central role. They won't be compatible with the president's advisers."

The close race factor
Ironically, while Edwards believes trends are moving toward running mates with similar ideologies or vice presidents that can be groomed for the presidency, he said Kerry's decision may follow older strategies.

"Quite frankly because the election is likely to be so close, I think there's a renewed pressure for bringing in a state or bringing in a constituency. They're going to think of people who can bring something to the ticket as opposed to being a good, wise person."

In this delicate decision, the vice presidential choice could hurt more than help, he said.

"In one state, like Florida, a guy like (Democratic Sen. Bob) Graham could help. There is state loyalty. But the other 49 states don't care about that. Quayle couldn't have been very helpful. Spiro was not very helpful. Ferraro's husband had some baggage. You've got to be very careful. They have to do a careful vetting."

-- By Chris Nammour, Online NewsHour