Ticket Balance - Ideological Balance

Ideological Balance

Ideological balance is achieved when a candidate chooses a running mate from a different ideological strain to provide more widespread appeal. For example, a liberal candidate might want to choose a moderate or even a conservative running mate rather than another liberal in order to appeal to a broader base of the electorate.

Ronald Reagan, a conservative, chose more moderate George H. W. Bush as his running mate in 1980. When liberal Democrat Michael Dukakis ran for president in 1988 he chose Lloyd Bentsen, a moderate, as his running mate. When perceived centrist Republican John McCain ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008, he chose Sarah Palin, a staunch conservative, as his running mate.