The Veep derby
A Minister tops the Bush list
By Michael Duffy
May 30, 2000
Web posted at: 2:59 p.m. EDT (1859 GMT)
A vice president is never more important than at the instant of
being chosen, because the choice tells you so much about the
person who does the picking. When the doors are closed, George
W. Bush doesn't have to listen to advice or stroke Republican
egos; he can say what he pleases. John McCain? asked a friend.
"Gimme a break," said Bush. Ohio Congressman John Kasich, Bush
argued, isn't ready for the job. Pro-choice Pennsylvanian Tom
Ridge might cost him too many pro-life votes in states where a
point or two will make the difference. And it has been clear to
Bush for weeks that Colin Powell would rather be Secretary of
State.
So what name does Bush return to in his private ruminations? A
pro-life Episcopal minister; a man out of politics for five
years; a popular pol from an important battleground state;
someone 10 years older, yet from an entirely different
generation, who would strengthen Bush in all his weak spots:
John Danforth, the earnest former Senator from Missouri.
That Danforth is on his mind tells you a lot about how Bush sees
himself--and how he thinks Americans see him. Bush isn't
shopping for geographical balance, though Missouri is one of
only two states that have voted for the winner in every
presidential race since 1960. What Bush needs is temperamental
balance, someone who can add weight to a ticket that is going to
be sharply scrutinized by voters for sobriety and intellectual
heft.
Danforth, 63, is synonymous with serious. Soft-spoken and
affable, he spent 18 years in the Senate as a voice of moral
authority, and was known for his thoughtful (sometimes
sanctimonious) speeches. He had a hand in modernizing tax and
trade policy during the 1980s but came to national prominence in
1991 with his take-no-prisoners defense of Clarence Thomas'
nomination to the Supreme Court. Danforth fought zealously for
his former staff member in the face of Anita Hill's charges of
sexual harassment. He ultimately prevailed but retired three
years later, still smarting. He wrote a book about the hearings,
titled Resurrection, in which he sounded almost surprised that
partisanship can get nasty. With degrees in law and divinity,
Danforth is in some ways an overgrown boy scout, which would
also balance the smart-alecky Bush. "Jack Danforth wouldn't know
how to smirk if you told him to," quipped a former aide.
Vice Presidents are a sensitive issue in the Greater Bush
Household, where J. Danforth Quayle is still remembered as a
kind of slow-acting fatal disease. The family model for the
perfect Veep has always been the elder Bush, who for eight years
was Ronald Reagan's loyal, silent wingman. But Dubya can't pick
his father as a running mate, so he is eyeing someone Dad nearly
chose in 1988, before settling on Quayle. (One might say the
elder Bush tapped the wrong Danforth.) Danforth of Missouri is a
moderate Republican with ties to the party's conservative wing.
After leaving office, the wealthy Ralston Purina heir returned
to St. Louis, where he has been active in rebuilding the
dilapidated inner city. (He also joined the board of directors
of Time Warner, parent company of TIME.)
And so last week Dick Cheney, who heads Bush's vice-presidential
search team, sent quiet feelers to St. Louis. One question on
Bush's mind: Would Danforth's work as special counsel for the
Justice Department's investigation of Waco be completed in time
for the fall campaign? (The answer: Yes.) The former Senator
declined to speak with TIME about the Veep's job because, an
intermediary explained, "he doesn't feel it's his place to
comment."
Danforth is still a hit in Missouri, where 11 electoral votes
are up for grabs. A key Gore organizer in St. Louis, informed of
the prospect of Danforth on the Bush ticket, let loose a string
of expletives before adding, "He's very popular among moderates
and independents." And, for now, with the likely G.O.P. nominee
himself.
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