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JIMMY CARTER: I have two announcements to make. One is that I've decided to accept the nomination--

[LAUGHTER]

--of president. And the other one is that I've asked to serve as my running mate, if the delegates will approve, Senator Walter Mondale from--

[CHEERING]

--from [INAUDIBLE].

[APPLAUSE]

This has been, as you can well imagine, one of the most difficult decisions that I've ever had to make, but I have absolutely no doubt that I have made the right decision. During the process, which is lasted for about 30 days, I've actually changed my mind three times as I've learn more and more about the relationship that can exist between myself and the vice presidential nominee, and as I've had a chance to get to know Senator Mondale personally, to study his past voting record, his qualifications, his capabilities, the acceptance that he enjoys among a wide range of Democrats, and have discerned a great compatibility between him on the major issues that face our nation and myself.

I've informed this morning at 8:30 Senator Mondale of my preference. He was already awake when I called him.

[LAUGHTER]

And he graciously agreed to run with me, and then immediately I called the other five members of the US Senate whom I had been carefully considering even in recent days as my own choice. Every one of them was very gracious. They didn't indicate any overt disappointment. I'm sure they felt some disappointment, but they all pledged themselves to support me and whoever it was I chose. I did not tell the other five of my choice, except that I had decided to choose someone else.

I've asked Senator Mondale and his wife, Joan, to come over and join me in a few minutes. He's on the way now from his hotel and should be here in about 10 more minutes. I would be glad now to answer any questions that you might have, and I'm sure when Senator Mondale arrives, he would be glad you could join me in answering questions.

AUDIENCE: You said your first criteria always was that you would try to select a man who was best qualified to be president if you could not serve your full term. Precisely why do you think Walter Mondale fits that description?

JIMMY CARTER: The question is, I always said, even 18 months ago when it was an idle query, that my first responsibility would be to choose someone to run with me if I was successful, who would be the best person to lead this country if something should happen to me, and why is Senator Mondale my preference?

Without any inclination to derogate the qualities of the other men, whom I also think would be successful in governing this country, I think Senator Mondale has a great feeling of understanding and comprehension and compassion for people who need services of government most. I think he has demonstrated sound judgment in times of difficulty.

I think he has the trust of a wide range of Democrats and those who have no party preference in our nation. He has a very clear concept of what the presidency should be, and I think he also had prepared himself for the prospect of this election in a very satisfying way to me.

I've had a chance, beginning even more than a month ago, to talk with 30 or 40 people, both in and out of government, whose judgments I trust. Those who are advocates for consumer protection, for citizens rights, for different special interest groups, and for peer group members in the Senate itself, and their judgment, who know this man best, is that he will be superlatively qualified to lead our country. He has a long experience in Washington, even though he's quite young still, and I have been completely satisfied that he would be highly qualified to lead our country.

AUDIENCE: What sorts of duties-- what sorts of duties would Vice President Mondale have in the Carter administration?

JIMMY CARTER: Well, the first duty that Senator Mondale will have would be to help win the election in the fall, and I have to be frank in telling you that the relative duties that would be accepted by me and by Senator Mondale if we are elected will have to be evolved as we get to know one another better and as we discern each other's particular strengths and weaknesses and particular interest in matters of public importance.

I am determined beyond what has ever been done in this country to put major responsibilities on the vice president if I'm elected president. We've discussed in detail, Senator Mondale and I have, the relationship between the vice president and the president, between the vice president and the Congress, between the vice president and the members of the cabinet, and between the vice president and other nations in the field of foreign policy, and responsibilities of the vice president in carrying out major assignments in order to fulfill the promises that I will have made to the American people during the campaign, involving government reorganization, welfare reform, tax reform, agricultural policy, those kinds of things for specific assignments would be worked out jointly.

I can't give you now any better analysis than that, but I have discussed it enough with him to know that he and I will be searching for a way to let the vice president be completely involved in our nation's affairs. I would never keep military or security secrets from the vice president, because I recognize this was the case, for instance, with Vice President Truman, that when Roosevelt died, Truman had very little knowledge about our nation's policies or problems, and I would make sure that was a complete involvement.

I might say one other thing. The second criterion that I established was compatibility, and I feel completely compatible with Senator Mondale. I don't believe that there would ever be an occasion when there would be a constraint between him and me that would prevent full communication or expressions of doubt or concern in a time of crisis or if an unforeseen circumstance evolved. There were others, obviously, with whom I had the same feeling, but it's a very sure feeling that I have about that point. Yes, sir?

AUDIENCE: Governor, when you describe the political considerations that went into your decision-making process, how much weight did you attach to the fact that Senator Mondale is a liberal?

JIMMY CARTER: The question is about political considerations and how much of a factor that played in my decision, and the fact that Senator Mondale is a liberal. Relatively little. There were two or three other candidates, to be factual about it, who in the public opinion polls showed up better than Senator Mondale and who would have been a greater asset to me at this point, or if he were on the ticket For instance, Senator Muskie, Senator Glenn are two that come to mind immediately that showed up very high in the public opinion polls.

I didn't put too much importance on that factor, because I believe that if I have made the right choice, and I believe I have, of someone who could lead this country as president eventually, perhaps, or help lead this country as vice president, if I've made the right choice there, I believe that the American people will agree, and in the long run, that's the best politics. Present name recognition, present popularity, in my opinion, is a very slight factor, and I consider it as such.

AUDIENCE: Governor Carter.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] having your field of choice [INAUDIBLE].

JIMMY CARTER: Well, as a matter of fact, at the beginning there were several governors, mayors, and the members of the House of Representatives who were considered. It just happens that in the final stages of a decision-making process, the senators were the ones that I thought would be best suited for vice president.

I made an early decision that it would be better for our country if I chose someone from the Congress in one of the two houses. This is particularly important, in my opinion, because next year we will have a new Speaker of the House, we'll have a new majority leader in the Senate, and there will be a complete shuffling because of those two changes in the structure of the Congress.

And I thought that all other factors being equal, that my bringing into the White House with me another person who was completely removed from the Washington scene, either a non-political figure or someone who's a mayor or governor, would not be a good decision. So because of that, I narrowed it down to the Congress and considered those six men, not because they were from the Senate, but because, in my opinion, within the whole Congress, they were the ones that I thought were best. Yes, ma'am?

AUDIENCE: Governor, in the future, [INAUDIBLE] presidential nominees a breathing spell between the time they are nominated and the time they have to choose a running mate?

JIMMY CARTER: The question is, would I advocate in the future having presidential nominees being given a breathing spell or a time interval before they make their selection? Yes, I would. I intend to recommend to the Democratic National Committee that in the future, the convention have the right, following the nomination of a president, to adjourn or recess for a period of about 30 days to give the nominee, once that person's identified, an opportunity to follow a similar procedure to the one that I've just followed.

At the end of that period, the convention could either reconvene in its entirety, which I think would probably be ill advised, or designate the authority to the Democratic National Committee itself, about 200 to 250 people, to confirm the choice of the presidential nominee. I think that ought to be an option. I believe that it's been very good for me, and I believe for the country, to have had this time of careful consideration, and I would advocate the same procedure in the future.

AUDIENCE: Governor Carter.

AUDIENCE: That's Tom Hayden, who--

AUDIENCE: Would you please get down from here? Right now. Right now. I'll block--

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE] convention just like presidential nominees.

JIMMY CARTER: The question is, how do I answer suggestions from liberals like Tom Hayden that the vice presidential nominee should come directly from the convention and not from a nominee? As you well know, the convention has an ultimate decision to make, and I think that it's a better procedure to follow the inclinations or request or recommendation of the presidential nominee than it is to turn it open to the convention in a way that's not been adequately assessed by people at home.

You have to remember that my own nomination last night was a result of a long, tedious, complete presentation of myself to the American people over 19 months, and the delegates who came there were thoroughly acquainted with my capabilities and my popularity among their own people as related or compared with those of Governor Brown or Congressman Udall or Mrs. McCormick and others, and that would not be the case with a vice presidential nominee, and I believe that the president nominee is the best person to make that ultimate recommendation. So I would not advocate a change for that reason. Yes?

AUDIENCE: Governor, besides Washington experience, what other strengths do you think Senator Mondale brings to the ticket to balance out your own weaknesses?

JIMMY CARTER: All right. Mr. Rich, I'll take two questions at once.

AUDIENCE: Governor, my question is on what you might do. There are reports this morning that you may approach the Catholic hierarchy on the abortion issue, and whether you have any such plan, any plans to make an initiative on that issue in the light of what's happened this week in Chicago, Cincinnati, and-- and there's a report in New York that the cardinal would not come.

JIMMY CARTER: I'll answer the first question first. The first question is, what are the attributes that Senator Mondale would bring to the ticket that would strengthen my own status in addition to the fact that he knows the Washington political procedures? Well, Senator Mondale obviously represents an agricultural state in the North. I think he's been very deeply involved in matters concerning finance.

He's on the finance committee, as you know, serving under Senator Russell Long. He's on the budget committee, serving along with Senator Muskie. I'm not sure, but I believe he's the only Senator who serves on both those committees, and he's had a chance to bridge the gap between those major committees involved in raising tax revenues and the very cautious and proper expenditure of revenues.

He's been a strong advocate of social programs, particularly for the disadvantaged, for relating to child abuse. And I remember very distinctly that when I was a governor and faced with the termination of Title IV funds and the evolution of revenue sharing, that Senator Mondale was the one with whom I worked most intimately, and I believe that's a similar circumstance with other governors. So he has a broad range of experience as an attorney general, as someone from a Northern Midwestern State, in agriculture, in finance, in social programs, and a knowledge of Washington.

As you know, he's also been, as other senators would, involved in making major decisions concerning international affairs, with the very critical votes on aid to Israel and on the Cyprus question and many others, including Angola. So there would be a long litany of things that I could describe that would give him the qualities to add on to the strength that I might have.

On the abortion issue, I personally would have favored a different wording in the Democratic platform on the abortion issue. I would have preferred wording that would say, within the bounds of the Supreme Court decision, whatever it might be now or in the future, that we should do everything we can to minimize the need for abortions. That's been my position throughout the whole campaign.

I don't think that the abortion issue is a new issue. It's one that has been debated for years, and I would guess that 50 years from now, the abortion issue will still be one that's hotly debated between those who feel that the fetus has a right to life from the first instant of conception all the way up through those that feel that a woman and her doctor should have exclusive right to make a decision about an abortion.

I've spelled out my position as clearly as I can, and among those leaders in the church who have recently expressed displeasure, they've been acquainted with the Democratic platform for the last 30 days. I did not have any input, I might say, personally or through my staff, so far as I know, with the adoption of the particular abortion plank. I did not try to dominate the platform committee. There were some things on which I was consulted. That happens not to have been one of them.

And I'll do everything I can as a president within the rules set down by the Supreme Court to minimize the need for abortion, and I will be calling on other leaders in our nation, both secular and religious leaders, to help me pursue this goal. But I will be making myself available to leaders in the church, and I'll do everything I can to eliminate the displeasure that the people feel about the Democratic Party platform.

But I have expressed my position. It's very close to what the Democratic Party platform said. I would just have worded it differently.

AUDIENCE: Governor, when you took office as governor of Georgia, people soon felt that your record there was considerably more liberal than they had expected after a vigorous campaign. Does the selection of Senator Mondale, who is a liberal and is interested deeply in social programs, mean that a similar surprise may be coming on the national scene? There will be speculation that this may mean that you will be campaigning and then administering in a more liberal way. How would you deal with that?

JIMMY CARTER: Well, I hope the speculation won't originate with you, Mr. Moore, because I don't think it would be an accurate assessment. I have never agreed with the claim, for instance, of the Atlanta Constitution that I ran a very conservative or a racist campaign and then changed after I was elected. When I made my inaugural address, which spelled out that the time for racial discrimination is over and so forth, there was no ripple of surprise or disappointment that swept through Georgia. It was what I had basically been saying throughout the whole campaign.

It's very difficult for a public figure or any person to conceal one's own character, one's own beliefs. And I'm not ever going to be constrained by absolute consistency. I reserve the right to change my mind and to learn as I go along, but I don't think there would be any prospect of a surprise to the American people about my basic thrust and my stand on issues that confront the people. I'm very carefully keeping record of those things that I promise to the American people, the most significant and the most important, and I intend to keep my promises. I consider my word of honor at stake, and I'm sure that Senator Mondale will help me honor those commitments.

AUDIENCE: Carter, Carter.

AUDIENCE: Governor, you've been-- for the last four years, you've been campaigning 18 to 20 hours a day, working very hard to get the nomination. Yet now you've picked a man who a year ago said that he did not want to run for president because he did not have the heart for a long campaign and did not want to involve himself in it. Isn't there an inconsistency there? Don't you feel at all uneasy about that?

JIMMY CARTER: The question was, since I have run, as a matter of fact, only about 19 months full time for president, do I see an inconsistency in choosing a person who withdrew from the race and said he did not choose to campaign? I went into this question with Senator Mondale, as you can well imagine, it was one of the major doubts that I had about him at the beginning. He was not my original choice if I had had to make a choice, say, a month ago.

But my mind has been completely relieved about that point. Senator Mondale pointed out and outlined to me the very complete and enthusiastic campaign that he conducted until his withdrawal. At that point, he said, the main reason he withdrew was because he knew that he could not win the support that he hoped to achieve did not materialize, the elements of a Democratic party that he hoped to inherit when Senator Kennedy withdrew did not come to him, and he finally discovered, because of that failure of his own campaign as a candidate, because of the difficulty of maintaining his Senate duties and conducting a full campaign, in that choice he thought it would be better for him to withdraw and stay with the Senate duties.

I have investigated among people in Minnesota who know Senator Mondale best his attitude toward campaigning itself, toward his degree of commitment to his work in the Senate. There's no doubt in my mind that he will work long hours, completely committed, and that he's perfectly determined to stick with a difficult assignment when there is an element of disappointment or discouragement there. So there is no doubt in my mind that that one question that I had at the original stages of the decision has been alleviated.

AUDIENCE: Governor, I have a follow up on that.

AUDIENCE: One thing that is perhaps in some minds here, and that is in view of Senator McGovern's choice of Thomas Eagleton and the great furor that was caused in this country as a result of the questions of medical problems. Do you feel that you've had a full and frank discussion with Senator Mondale over any medical problems he may have had, including the publicized question of hypertension?

JIMMY CARTER: Yes. The question is about Senator Mondale's health, and am I satisfied about the problem that was identified there earlier? In the last few days, I have had several very serious allegations made against some of the six senators whom I was considering. Every one of those allegations has been checked at the source.

There have been no crippling or detrimental factors identified about any of the six men, neither financial, moral or physical. No detrimental factors evolved about any of them. I really expected early that out of six there might be something that would prove to be embarrassing. I don't know of anything that would have been embarrassing about any of the six.

Senator Mondale has a slight problem with hypertension. We asked for and received a complete statement from his own medical doctor, who gave us the exact readings of his blood pressure test over an historical period. We took that analysis and gave it to an independent physician. It happens to be the personal physician for Mr. Kirbo in Atlanta. He checked with a specialist in that field and said that that was a normal problem for someone to have at Senator Mondale's age.

I think that the-- I don't remember, the diastolic pressure was up to 100. It was supposed to be about 85. So that's the one that's under the line. I think it's the diastolic. I'm not sure. Is that right? Systolic and diastolic.

And there is a very slight problem. Senator Mondale does take a very mild medication for it, and since he's been taking the medication, he has had no recurrence. And his doctor in the past, not as a result of my consideration of him, has been to Washington to observe Senator Mondale, even under times of stress, because he wanted to be sure that he didn't have an unforeseen difficulty, an undetected difficulty, and it proved to be of no concern. I think Senator Mondale might be--

SPEAKER 1: Senator Mondale has now arrived, Bob, and we could hear a cheer going up in the hallway outside. The huge crowd jamming the hallways here outside the royal ballroom, and Senator Mondale, his wife, Joan, were requested to come here and join Governor Carter here at the news conference. Now Governor Carter is also inviting his wife, Rosalynn, to come up on the podium, and it will take a minute or so for them to get up.

Now Governor Carter has left the podium, the elevated podium here, and has walked across the room very, very rapidly to greet Senator Mondale as he comes in. This is a huge ballroom, probably 200 feet long, and we are just to the right of the podium as we look at it, and the governor exited off the podium to our left, and so he had to walk perhaps 100 feet or so to get to the Mondales, Senator Walter Fritz Mondale.

[APPLAUSE]

And you can hear some applause going up here now in the room from Carter staffers and people. And now Mrs. Mondale and Governor Mondale or Senator Mondale now up on the podium, and Governor Carter now speaking with him very briefly there in front of the microphones, and they will be taking further questions from us here in the room. Just with this historic--

JIMMY CARTER: I'd like to introduce to you Senator Walter Mondale.

SPEAKER 1: Governor Carter.

JIMMY CARTER: The next vice president of our country, who will make a brief opening statement and then be available for your questions. Following the questions to Senator Mondale, I will also be available for additional questions.

[APPLAUSE]

WALTER MONDALE: Well, thank you very much, Governor. I heard the first part of your news conference, in which you remarked that I was up when you called at 8:30. Actually, I was up much earlier than that trying to fix my phone, which hasn't rang for three days. I knew there was something wrong with it, and finally we got it fixed this morning.

Permit me to say that no one could be honored more than Governor Carter honored be and Joan this morning. To be selected as a vice presidential running mate at any time is a high honor and a great challenge, but particularly to be selected by this remarkable and good man, who has brought so much hope and unity to this country, who will be elected president of the United States, but more importantly, will be elected on principle and will bring this country together and put us on the road that we all want to go on, the road of principle and decency.

I've had a chance to come to know Governor Carter these past few weeks, and the people of America should know that he's an uncommon man. Terribly gifted, committed, skilled, experienced, ready, but above all, a good man, and I'm proud and honored to be a part of this team. Joan and I commit ourselves to Governor and Mrs. Carter, to the Democratic Party, but more than that, to the people of America, to give all that we have to the election of this great man and to assist him in every way possible in what I know will be one of the greatest presidencies in American history.

Governor, my children, our children are coming up shortly, and they want you to know that each of them have already taken on an assignment. Teddy will handle all the dirt bike riders in America, my daughter will handle all the horse ladies and horsemen in America, and my younger son William will handle all the football players, wrestlers, and lacrosse players. Good luck.

[APPLAUSE]

The question was the nature of the vice presidency under the Carter presidency. We had a long talk, and the first question we discussed at Plains was his concept of the vice presidency and mine, and that was my chief concern. I was not interested in a ceremonial post. I was very pleased to see and to hear that he intends to use his vice president in a very broad range of duties and responsibilities, both in domestic and foreign policy. We did not get into specifics, but it was clear to me that the governor intended to use the vice presidency in the fullest possible sense.

AUDIENCE: What areas interest you most that you'd like--

WALTER MONDALE: Well, there's a whole host of areas, and I think I'll defer answering that question until the governor and I have had a chance to discuss it further.

AUDIENCE: Senator Mondale, the governor has always said that he wanted someone who was compatible with him, but he did not intend that that person be subservient to him. Therefore, I want to ask you whether there are some areas in which you differ with him on some positions, and if so, are you going to speak up about it?

WALTER MONDALE: Well, the governor and I think, are very compatible. We had a long and searching conversation, a candid conversation, over a broad range of issues. The role of the vice president, federal-state relations, governmental reorganization, defense policy, education. A whole range of questions came up in our discussions. I thought we agreed on all of them. There may be some differences, but I felt a very strong identity on the issue, but more than that, a compatibility in terms of personal relationship based on very--

Well as you--

AUDIENCE: Your speeches over the years and the governor's position are not quite the same thing.

WALTER MONDALE: Well, you should know that my position has always been that I have not been an advocate of busing to achieve racial balance. What I've resisted is the repeal of the 14th Amendment that prohibits discrimination in our school system. I think that's the only honorable and legal position that can be taken. A sensitive administration that understood this problem and was trying to solve it rather than exploit it could work closely with the courts to achieve the elimination of discrimination, and at the same time, to sharply reduce the need for busing and the other disruptions that interrupt education.

[INAUDIBLE]

AUDIENCE: Repeat the question, please.

JIMMY CARTER: The question is, what would be the-- he wanted a complete outline of what the duties would be during the coming campaign. I don't have the slightest idea. Senator Mondale and I will be meeting personally, probably tomorrow-- I haven't put a specific time yet on my schedule, but I'm sure we can work it out-- maybe for lunch. And following that, Senator Mondale and his staff have already agreed to meet in depth with Hamilton Jordan, my own campaign manager, and my other staff members, to get a sharing of responsibility.

I would like to and have already instructed Hamilton Jordan to ask Senator Mondale and his staff to put forward their own proposal about what are areas of the nation he should visit most, which particular states he would find most compatible with his own campaigning, and to share responsibilities for major events like conventions and so forth. But that is the best outline I can give you. Now, those details will be worked out only in the future after our staffs have had time to correlate our mutual commitment to the campaign.

AUDIENCE: Governor Carter!

AUDIENCE: The New York Times reported that at various times you had a first choice of other people for vice president. You mentioned that yourself earlier. Who were these people and why did you favor them?

JIMMY CARTER: That's a question that I prefer not to answer. The question is, of the people that were, you might say, finalists in my own deliberations, which ones have I actually decided at one time or another would be the best? I have to tell you that Senator Mondale is the fourth one. Had I been called upon the day after the Ohio, New Jersey, and California primaries, I would have made one choice.

Later, I decided on a different choice. Later, after seeing poll results, I decided on a third choice, and then I decided to wipe the poll results and everything out of my mind and just choose the person that I thought would be the best to lead this country and the most compatible with me, and the movement towards Senator Mondale was almost inexorable. But I would rather not call the names. But what I've just told you is a fact, and I think it shows that the long and very careful deliberative procedure paid very rich dividends for me and for the Democratic Party and for the country.

AUDIENCE: Who influenced you most in your final decision?

JIMMY CARTER: Senator Mondale.

[LAUGHTER]

AUDIENCE: Governor Carter, Governor Carter, could you tell us something about the sequence of events when you finally made up your mind? Who you informed first, and among your staff and family?

JIMMY CARTER: The question is about the final sequence of events this morning when I informed anyone about my decision. I had asked the six senators to expect a call from me as soon after 8:30 as I could reach them. And I told my wife, and she was the first person, about two minutes before I placed the first call. No one else up until that moment knew who I was going to choose. And then I told Greg Schneiders, my staff person, to call Senator Mondale on the phone.

The Secret Service was present. They had asked me to give them an hour and a half notice, if possible, about my choice to make security arrangements. They had previously located all the potential nominees, had their phone numbers and had made contact with them in a precautionary way, and they dispatched their own coverage to Senator Mondale.

Following that, different members of my staff came in. Betty Rainwater, Jody Powell, Hamilton Jordan, and others, and I informed them as they came in. I must say that later in the day, there will be available to the press a written description of the procedure that has been followed for the last four or five months in the selection. I thought it might be valuable for historical purposes, and our staff has taken some time to put together the sequence of events and those persons who were involved in the selection process. Yes, sir?

AUDIENCE: Do you think there's going to be any serious backlash against this ticket in your region of the country, the South?

JIMMY CARTER: The question is, will there be any serious backlash against this ticket in the South? No, I saw in an Atlanta newspaper before I came up here that when the Georgia delegation was polled, Senator Mondale was their preference. I saw in the newspaper, a different paper, that when the Alabama delegation was polled, among those who responded, Senator Mondale was their preference.

I want to make sure that Senator Mondale goes to the south Georgia swamps and the south Texas and to the lower part of Illinois and to some of the other areas of the country, where he might not be known as well, and I think as he presents himself to the people in the South or in the more conservative regions of our country, they will define, as I have, a remarkable compatibility between his stand on sensitive issues and my own.

On issues concerning defense, on issues concerning gun control, on the issue of busing, there's no discernible difference between his own attitude and mine. I think that the people of the South will find his stance on issues completely compatible with their own as much as they find my own.

AUDIENCE: Sir, can you tell us, because we've heard some stories, a little bit about what you did to prepare for the trip to Plains and what you learned about Governor Carter's family and how you--

WALTER MONDALE: Well, first, the question is, what did I do to prepare for the visit to Plains, Georgia? Well, the first thing I did was to read the most remarkable book ever written called Why Not the Best? And I found-- and I found every word absolutely brilliant and compelling. And then I read, as I thought I should, as many of his speeches, his positions and so on by way of preparing for our discussions.

AUDIENCE: Senator Carter, can you tell us why you decided to drop out of sight yesterday?

WALTER MONDALE: Well, I had been all over this town for two solid days, and no meeting was safe, and I decided that enough was enough. Also, I did not want to be in the position of appearing to be crowding the decision that Governor Carter was going to make with respect to his vice presidency.

There is nothing more personal and perhaps more subjective than the judgment of the kind that Governor Carter had to make, and I wanted the choice to be his choice. If it was to be me, I would be highly honored. If it were someone else, I would support the ticket fully. But I did not want a campaign for it or appear to be campaigning for the job.