Who’d be the best vice presidential pick for Donald Trump?
The answer depends upon how the question is asked.
A recent Harvard-Harris poll named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the top choice.
But wait. There’s another dimension to the poll. Who would help Trump the most in winning the election?
Among Republicans, Ramaswamy helps Trump the most; but among Democrats, Hispanics and independents, the poll said, it’s Scott.
While seeming to be political inside-baseball kind of stuff, these vice president preferences represent important sentiments among voters, and you can be sure Trump and his strategists are paying attention.
Consider DeSantis.
The specific question by pollsters was, “Who would you like to see Donald Trump select as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2024 presidential election?”
From the total sample size of 1,660 registered voters, DeSantis led the field at 12 percent, followed by Scott at 9 percent.
But there are important statistics in there -- breaking down DeSantis’ totals, 23 percent of those favoring him were Republican, while he was chosen by 4 percent of Democrats and 7 percent identified as independent/other.
On the other hand, Scott was favored by 10 percent of Democrats, 12 percent of Republicans, and 5 percent independent/other.
So while DeSantis had appeal within the party, Scott’s draw was more broad.
Vice presidential candidates are sometimes chosen for their ability to attract candidates the individual at the top of the ticket cannot. Scott might be that guy.
Although he initially ran for the 2024 nomination, Scott withdrew and has been an enthusiastic campaigner for Trump. And Trump, appreciative of loyalty, has noticed.
There are a few other names near the top -- Ramaswamy with 8 percent of the overall voter sample, of which 3 percent are Democrat, 13 percent Republican, and 8 percent independent/other.
Next is ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard with 5 percent overall and 2 percent Democrat, 8 percent Republican, and 7 percent independent/other.
But so far, the real winner is “None of the above.”
Twenty-eight percent of the sample named no choice.
Then there’s this question in which pollsters listed potential vice presidential candidates and asked voters to “indicate if, as Donald Trump’s Vice President nomination, they would make you more or less likely to vote for Donald Trump, or whether it has no effect.”
Twenty-five percent said Scott would probably move them to Trump, 19 percent said he might drive them away, and 55 percent were indifferent.
Based on those answers 23 percent Democrats, 29 percent Republicans, 24 percent independents/other, 25 percent white, 25 percent black, and 33 percent Latino were more likely to vote for a Trump-Scott ticket.
Ramaswamy's numbers were similar, with 23 percent more likely, 23 percent less likely, and 54 percent indifferent.
He’s less favored by Democrats than by Republicans (16 percent to 32 percent) and is 21 percent among independents/others, 24 percent among whites, 25 percent among blacks, and 20 percent among Latinos.
The poll placed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in a tie for fifth place as being favored as Trump’s vice president, favored by 4 percent of the voter sample, along with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and commentator Tucker Carlson.
Currently, it looks like Scott could be the best choice by Trump.
Republicans, unlike Democrats, have the advantage of a deep bench of young, attractive nationally-known figures. Trump has voiced enthusiasm for his options.
