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(Un)Conventional Wisdom and Presidential Politics: The Myth of Convention Locations and Favorite-Son Vice Presidents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2016

David Schultz
David Schultz*
Affiliation:
Hamline University
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Abstract

Conventional wisdom pervades presidential politics, and there is no doubt that this will again be true in 2016. First among “old politicians’ tales” is that a political party’s placement of a national convention in a specific state can affect presidential voting there, swinging or flipping it to its presidential candidate. Second, the selection of a vice-presidential candidate as a favorite son (or daughter) will deliver a state’s electoral votes to a presidential ticket. Is either of these pearls of wisdom true? This article tests the truth of both the convention location and favorite-son claims and finds little evidence of their efficacy.

Type
Politics
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , July 2016 , pp. 420 - 425
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2016 

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