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Veepstakes Two Is the Loneliest NumberBy Rick Horowitz
I know there's been plenty of talk lately in certain circles. It's perfectly understandable that there'd be this kind of talk, especially at this particular point in the process. But I think it's time to put an end to it and set the record straight. So I want to announce today that I am not a candidate for vice president. My decision is firm. It's also final and irrevocable. The "Rick for Veep" boomlet is over. To make sure there's no misunderstanding, I've asked the Bush campaign to remove my name from their short list of contenders. Whether I was ever on their short list is something I'm not going to talk about today, but I think I've made my position crystal clear. And I've done exactly the same thing with the Gore campaign; I don't want to be on their short list either. For that matter, I expect to be getting in touch with the Nader and Buchanan campaigns later today, just to make sure that I haven't somehow gotten onto their short lists. When it comes to the vice presidency, I don't believe in playing favorites: I'm just not interested, and as I said, my position is firm and final and pretty much irrevocable. Why am I making this announcement right now? That's a fair question. I'm making this announcement right now to quell the speculation. I wouldn't call it rampant speculation exactly. But it isn't idle speculation either. I'd say it's somewhere between rampant and idle speculation. I mean, people aren't exactly flooding the call-in shows with "How about that Horowitz guy?" But do you think they were flooding the call-in shows with "How about Dick Gephardt?" Of course not -- but it didn't keep Dick Gephardt from holding some kind of news conference to make a big deal about how he's not interested in being Gore's Number Two. He'd rather stay where he is, in the House of Representatives, and if he can help the Democrats win a majority there in November, he gets to be Speaker of the House, which is what he really wants. But being Al Gore's running mate? Not interested, he says. Or Colin Powell -- he doesn't want to be anyone's running mate either. He's ready and willing to serve his country again, he says -- but not that way. He'd rather stay in the private sector for now, and if George Bush wins -- in that case, he hints, maybe he'd be interested in being Secretary of State. But certainly not Veep. Or John McCain -- he doesn't want to be a running mate either. Or Bill Bradley -- he doesn't want to be a running mate either. Frankly, the people who don't want to be somebody's running mate are a lot more interesting (most of them, anyhow) than the folks who are panting after the job. And I'll bet their positions on this thing -- Gephardt's and Powell's and McCain's and Bradley's, that is -- are every bit as firm and final as mine. Not that any of us wouldn't bring all sorts of assets to a ticket; I realize that. In my case? Let's see: I live in a swing state in the electorally crucial, thoroughly pivotal Midwest; in a close race, I could definitely tip the balance one way or the other. I don't mind shaking hands with total strangers. And -- especially important this year -- I'm equally comfortable campaigning with or without a necktie. That's just for starters. But as compelling as the case might be for putting me on a ticket, and as significant as my presence might be in altering the course of history for generations to come, I still feel that I can better serve the country that I love by remaining in my current position as a syndicated columnist. At least for now. Can I predict what the future will bring? Of course not. But you can rest assured, I have absolutely no current intention of changing my mind about the vice presidency, and I can't even imagine a circumstance that would make me reconsider. Well, maybe if they asked. Posted 7/20/00. You
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Rick Horowitz