In the swirling vortex of 2024 Republican presidential politics, all eyes are on Donald Trump, the front-runner who’s keeping everyone guessing about his next move. Especially intriguing is the question of who’ll be his VP pick in the upcoming election. With Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, not quite keeping pace in the nomination race, speculation is rife about who Trump will choose as his running mate.
The betting world, always keen to weigh in on political drama, has thrown some names into the hat. Betfair, for one, has placed its bets on Representative Elise Stefanik from New York, with odds standing at 9 to 2, hinting at an 18.2% chance she might get the nod. Not far behind is South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem, with a 14.3% chance according to 6/1 odds. The lineup also features a mix of politicians and non-politicians alike, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Ben Carson, Haley herself, Senator Tim Scott, former Representative Lee Zeldin, Kari Lake, and Governor Ron DeSantis.
The list of potential wild cards includes names like Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Pompeo, Ivanka Trump, Kanye West, Michael Flynn, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Lara Trump, and even Andrew Cuomo, making this speculation game even more intriguing.
Diving into the minds of political scientists, it seems loyalty might trump (no pun intended) experience or competence in Trump’s book. Christopher Devine from the University of Dayton suggests that while voters appreciate a solid VP pick, they’re quick to frown upon selections that seem off the mark.
CNN’s take is that Trump still leads the Republican charge. DeSantis, having bowed out of the race and thrown his support behind Trump, is also in the VP speculation mix.
OddsChecker keeps the betting odds conversation going, though it stops short of crowning a vice-presidential betting favorite for Trump.
Sabato’s Crystal Ball gets into the nitty-gritty of what makes a good running mate choice, highlighting the importance of party alignment, electability, and the trend towards choosing women and minorities, though noting that primary race losers rarely make the cut.
Statista brings data to the table, suggesting Noem could be the one to watch, with betting odds giving her a 25% shot at being Trump’s pick.
The Hill added its analysis to the mix, outlining the critical factors in VP selection, including demographics, geographic balance, and image synergy.
Closing out the speculation saga, the Miami Herald shares a hint from Trump that his VP choice will be “pretty standard,” focusing on experience, ideology, geography, and demographics, but of course, not forgetting the loyalty factor.
As the 2024 election machine gears up, the speculation over Trump’s vice-presidential pick adds an extra layer of drama and unpredictability to an already charged political atmosphere.
