Lessons from Past Political Campaigns

It’s been about a month since former President Donald Trump chose J.D. Vance to be his running mate on the Republican ticket. And in that short amount of time, the Ohio senator has made history… as one of the most unpopular picks for the job ever. The latest polls show more than 40 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Vance, prompting some to question whether he could sink Republicans’ hopes of winning the White House in November. To better understand the extent to which Vance has become an albatross for the Trump campaign, Max and Erin look at four other unpopular V.P. picks in modern history, from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin all the way back to former President Richard Nixon’s turn as President Eisenhower’s running mate in the 50s. They’ll explore the effects each candidate had on his or her respective ticket, and what it could all mean for Vance and the Republicans this year.