Picking a Vice-President

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Joe Biden is running for president against Donald Trump. They are the two oldest presidential candidates in history. Joe might not run again in 2024 if he wins in 2020, and he might not even finish his first term. That means that whoever Joe picks as his running mate stands a good chance of succeeding him if he wins. He needs to choose someone who can fill the job if needed.

What’s more, the 2020 election is critical. Many people are concerned that if Trump is re-elected, he would move the country toward an authoritarian government headed by a cult leader who has lost his marbles. Many of the nation’s needs could continue to go unanswered, including a pandemic that now threatens the economy and the nation’s health. Many others remain committed to Mr. Trump because he has promised to make America great again. He has helped keep the economy going through most of his term with tax cuts, and he has protected conservative values.

Being of progressive mind myself, I see the need to shift from the philosophy of trickle-down economics and laissez faire that has kept the nation from acting on those long-unmet needs, and to move into a new era in which the nation can accomplish great things for everyone and not just for a privileged few. I am concerned that yet-another Republican president would keep us shackled to the old ways just when we most need to move forward.

For this reason, I think that the first priority in choosing a vice-president should be which one can be elected in her own right later on. I developed a method of predicting who can win, and I offer it as a guide to which candidate chosen as vice president can win in a future election, as well as giving us some idea about whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump will be elected in 2020.

Unfortunately, my method does not give a definitive answer about who will win the 2020 election. The most significant part of my method is what I call the horoscope score for US presidential candidates. In my research I looked at the charts for all the significant candidates for president in US history. I found the most favorable aspects for getting elected, and the most unfavorable ones (the aspects being the angles between the planets in the horoscope, such as conjunctions, oppositions, squares and trines). After giving each kind of aspect a rating, based mostly on this research (and not just on the traditional meanings), I score each candidate by adding up the favorable and unfavorable aspects to provide a percentage, much like a baseball team might have in the standings. These scores do not tell us whether the candidate will be a good president or not; just how skilled (s)he is at getting elected; although such skills can often help in the job. But one finding seems certain: only skilled candidates ever get elected president of the USA.

For example, President Trump has a score of 9-4, meaning 9 points for favorable aspects and 4 for unfavorable. Joe Biden has a score of 14-7. The percentage of the two candidate scores is almost the same, but Trump has a slight advantage. The difference is within the "margin of error," however, and Biden’s higher positive number could help his chances a bit. Usually, when the two competing candidates have scores as close as these, a close election happens.

The elections since 1932 show how the method works. Every winner but one had at least a 2 to 1 percentage of favorable to unfavorable aspects. Only two, Trump and LBJ, had a positive score below 10. In all except two cases, the candidate with the higher score won:

1932: Franklin Roosevelt 21-4, Herbert Hoover 11-11
1936: Franklin Roosevelt 21-4, Alf Landon 10-16
1940: Franklin Roosevelt 21-4, Wendell Willkie 8-9
1944: Franklin Roosevelt 21-4, Thomas Dewey 8-6
1948: Harry Truman 14-0, Thomas Dewey 8-6
1952: Dwight Eisenhower 18-8, Adlai Stevenson 5-21
1956: Dwight Eisenhower 18-8, Adlai Stevenson 5-21
1960: John F Kennedy 13-6, Richard Nixon 18-7
1964: Lyndon B Johnson 8-6, Barry Goldwater 20-11
1968: Richard Nixon 18-7, Hubert Humphrey 9-5, George Wallace 2-7
1972: Richard Nixon 18-7, George McGovern 9-10
1976: Jimmy Carter 12-4, Gerald Ford 12-8
1980: Ronald Reagan 22-6, Jimmy Carter 12-4, John Anderson 14-8
1984: Ronald Reagan 22-6, Walter Mondale 12-12
1988: George H W Bush 14-6, Michael Dukakis 2-10
1992: Bill Clinton 21-3, George H W Bush 14-6, Ross Perot 7-10
1996: Bill Clinton 21-3, Bob Dole 12-19, Ross Perot 7-10
2000: George W Bush 17-2, Al Gore 10-9
2004: George W Bush 17-2, John Kerry 8-12
2008: Barack Obama 19-2, John McCain 15-13
2012: Barack Obama 19-2, Mitt Romney 4-10
2016: Donald Trump 9-4, Hillary R. Clinton 9-11

Chapter 12 of my book Horoscope for the New Age has the full story on the methods and the scores for all the major candidates, and which aspects provide favorable or unfavorable points.

People vote for the top of the ticket. So I have no scores for candidates who won and lost their elections for vice-president. Usually the vice-presidential nominee makes no difference. Two of the worst choices in history, Spiro Agnew and Dan Quayle, did no harm to the presidential candidates who picked them. Franklin D. Roosevelt picked a very left-wing and starry-eyed candidate named Henry Wallace in 1940 for vice president, and he won anyway. In earlier times, most people never paid any attention to who was vice president.

The presidential candidate scores, however, can tell us who can step in after Joe Biden and Donald Trump and become elected president. Joe Biden has pledged to choose a woman. These scores are mostly based on a 12 Noon time, which means that the scores could change by a few points if birth times become known. Significantly though, we do know the birth time of Kamala Harris, who is the leading candidate according to many media sources, but whose score shows she is the least likely ever to be elected president. Here are the top 10 female candidates being discussed these days for Biden’s running mate, and their scores from highest to lowest:

Susan Rice 15-5
Tammy Baldwin 13-6
Stacey Abrams 13-7
Gretchen Whitmer 17-12
Elizabeth Warren 8-7
Val Demings 6-6
Tammy Duckworth 9-10
Keisha Lance Bottoms 11-13
Michelle Lujan Grisham 12-15
Kamala Harris 4-16

Susan Rice has the best score; but interestingly, if she was actually born around Noon, her score could fall behind Tammy Baldwin’s, and similarly, if Stacey Abrams was born in the afternoon, her score could also fall. But Kamala Harris has by far the lowest score, and that won’t change.

Susan Rice has extensive federal government experience and has worked closely with Joe Biden. On the down side, her experience has been mostly in foreign policy at a time when domestic issues are uppermost, and she has never run for elective office before. But she has campaigned well for other candidates. If she is chosen, and war develops during the years of crisis ahead, as I predict could happen, Mars aspects in her chart indicate that she can be a competent and victorious warrior president and national hero. Some pacifists might not approve of this, however. Her recent comments indicate that she could shift her focus to domestic affairs too and do a good job. She helped develop policies to deal with pandemics, which is excellent experience for today's needs. Her background has been exemplary, and she projects a noble bearing.

Tammy Baldwin is a liberal senator from an important swing state, Wisconsin. Sometimes running mates are chosen to help win a key state, just as John F Kennedy chose Lyndon Johnson to help him win Texas, and as Mitt Romney also chose a running mate from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan. This has rarely if ever decided a presidential election, however; except possibly in the case of Kennedy, since along with Texas he only needed Illinois, and it was alleged that Mayor Daley cheated to help JFK win that state. But Senator Baldwin lacks a strong national profile and name recognition, and picking her could put a Democratic Senate majority in jeopardy. Her score might indicate that she could be an inspiring candidate like JFK was, who had the same score. Being born days after the famous Aquarian eclipse of February 1962, during Kennedy’s administration, she has many planets in that sign of the New Age.

Stacey Abrams is an articulate and inspiring speaker who could mobilize the black vote in key swing states. Although she was a leader in the state legislature in Georgia, she has not served in any statewide or federal office. But she was likely cheated out of the governorship of Georgia by the current incumbent, who had been secretary of state there and heavily purged the voter rolls to help himself win. She has been a good organizer for the cause of voting rights since then, as aspects in her chart among Mars, Saturn and Uranus show.

Gretchen Whitmer is governor of Michigan, a swing state, and although she has not been in office long, she has gained national recognition through persisting in imposing measures to control the covid19 virus in spite of protests and insults against her by President Trump. Aspects similar to Abrams’ show this resilience, and Venus aspects show charm and a liking for attention.

Elizabeth Warren has the most name recognition among these candidates as a liberal leader in the US senate and a former candidate for president in 2020. She could step in and do the job well as president. But her campaign did not gain enough traction. Her score confirms the impression among many that she is only an average communicator who connects well with some voters but appears too pedantic or too crusading to others. Her strong Mars trine to Neptune is the signature of her idealistic and fighting spirit. Biden has been consulting with her a lot on policy.

Val Demings has little name recognition, but she spoke eloquently as one of the managers of the impeachment hearings against Trump. Now in congress, she represents a district in Florida, a key state. It’s doubtful whether a representative from one district can carry a whole state, however. She gains some support and also some doubts from her record as a former police chief who championed some reforms. Her score indicates that her apparent eloquence may not wear all that well in its power or persuasiveness.

Tammy Duckworth has a lot of admirers as a double-amputee veteran who could run as a military hero, and her chart reminds me of Teddy Roosevelt’s, but she is not very well-known and has not accomplished much in the senate.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta, has been a key supporter of Biden and has countered the unfortunate rule of Georgia’s Republican governor during the virus and the riots. She does not have the heft or appeal on a national level, however. Mars and Pluto aspects may indicate some runaway passions.

Michelle Lujan Grisham is another candidate who has some credibility as an hispanic governor with a good record. But New Mexico is not a major platform from which to run. Her strong Mars in Scorpio shows energy and determination.

Although Grisham’s score does not bode well for her as a presidential candidate, she easily beats the candidate who is the most talked-about, California Senator Kamala Harris. Being a person of color gives Harris an advantage. She has a good liberal record in congress and can ask tough questions in senate hearings. But her campaign for president in 2020 flopped, and her rather whiny speaking style and her record as Attorney General of California did not inspire support from liberals or the black community. Some of her aspects show impulsive unsteadiness. If she is chosen, she could actually hurt Biden a little bit, and she would lose if she were chosen to succeed Biden as Democratic Party standard bearer in a presidential election. I believe it is vital to the Party’s chances in 2024 that she not be chosen.

Vice President Pence will likely be Trump’s running mate again, and probably will run for president in 2024. His score is only 8-7, and his presentation is not inspiring. I have joked that if Warren were chosen to run against Pence in 2024, we’d have two candidates with the charisma of a wooden indian. If Trump loses in 2020, this could actually help Pence beat Warren in 2024, according to the important indicator of the new moon before the election. I can’t cover this method here, but I mention it prominently in my book, in my video and on my website. Suffice to say, the challenging candidate has an advantage in 2024. So if Pence runs, his mediocre score can be beat, but this would require a candidate with a much better score. Perhaps Rice, Baldwin or Abrams could fill that bill, but I would recommend instead the potential candidate with the highest score, former Mayor of New Orleans and Lt. Governor of Louisiana, Mitch Landrieu (score 16-2). He is so friendly and articulate that he would charm the pants off everyone and waltz right into the White House, much like a candidate with a similar style and talent did in 1992 by the name of Bill Clinton (score 21-3). Another great possibility is the very-positive and very-successful former governor of Virginia and prodigious Democratic fundraiser Terry McAuliffe, whose horoscope score as of now I calculate as 11-2, although it would be higher if he was born in the morning.

One possible Republican candidate to watch is the very-conservative but articulate Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who scores 15-9. Just as President Bush 41 (score 14-6) lost his bid for re-election, but his son Bush 43 (score 17-2) continued his dynasty anyway, President Trump (score 9-4) could lose his re-election bid, but his daughter Ivanka (who scores 16-2) could continue his dynasty anyway. She is remarkably poised, independent and charismatic, and despite her problems with scandal she could still emerge in the future as an outstanding candidate. The scores of these four candidates are all very similar, and they could indicate a pattern-- perhaps the only real hope for the Republicans in the future.

Another critical factor to watch is the Saturn Return. It does not affect a candidacy for vice president. But when Saturn has returned to the place in a presidential candidate’s horoscope during the first three years of the term sought, that candidate has lost the election 11 out of 12 times. If Saturn returns to its place in a candidate’s horoscope during an election year, the situation is more fluid and affords some choice, but the burdens would be great and disaster usually happens. You may get elected, but sooner or later you’ll wish you hadn’t. The list of candidate and presidential victims of this Saturn Return pattern is a long one, including 4 presidents who died in office, one who got a stroke, one who had to resign, a number who suffered through long and deadly wars, and many who decided they had had enough and bowed out, or were forced out.

This pattern will affect several of these vice-presidential contenders. Tammy Duckworth would be predicted to lose if she ran in 2024. Keisha Lance Bottoms would face disaster during her term in the unlikely event she ran in 2024 and got elected. Gretchen Whitmer could not be elected or re-elected if she ran in 2028. If Stacey Abrams ran for president in 2024, she might win, but if she ran for election or re-election in 2028 and won, the term would be a rough one.

Many mundane astrologers look to the current transits to determine the chances of a candidate. I have found no reliable patterns with transits, but sometimes a good connection to buoyant and fortunate Jupiter or to other planets could indicate at least a temporary boost. Looking at transits to the charts of the various candidates, I see one outstanding indicator that benefits Elizabeth Warren, a number of factors that inhibit the chances of Kamala Harris, and mixed indications for the others. This election in November will be quickly followed by a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. This conjunction corresponded to a series of presidents who died while in office after being elected just before this conjunction, a pattern that lasted from 1841 to 1961. In 1981, Reagan survived an assassination attempt "by inches." Whenever the party in power was not well-entrenched, the party in power was voted out of office seven out of eleven times. This could bode well for the challenging party this year. It could also boost Elizabeth Warren, because her Jupiter, a stand-out planet in her horoscope, is located in the same degree as this conjunction. That does not mean that I predict that she will be chosen vice-president, but it makes this outcome somewhat more likely.

In Kamala’s chart, however, those heavy planets now in conjunction in Capricorn will be in stressful square angle to her Sun in Libra, and to the ruling planet of her chart, Mercury in early Scorpio, along about convention time, and Uranus will be opposing this Mercury then too. Mars in Aries will be opposing her Sun and Mercury as well. She may not make the right moves at this time to become vice president. In the outside wheel in Kamala’s chart, you can see that Mars will be within one degree of her Moon during the Democratic convention, and opposing her Sun. It will turn stationary-retrograde in early September, magnifying its energetic significance. It will also be in square to Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter, all of which square her Sun position. In the natal chart shown on the inside wheel, you can see the T-square of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, which form a large portion of the 16 negative points in her score.

Mr. Biden, please choose Susan Rice, not Kamala Harris.

BIO: E. Alan Meece (aka Eric Meece), MA philosophy, has studied and practiced astrology for over 50 years. His two books Horoscope for the New Age (2019) and Horoscope for the New Millennium (1997) are now available at amazon.com. He has written for Welcome to Planet Earth magazine, NCGR, ISAR, The Mountain Astrologer and the AFA Bulletin. He is author of the forthcoming book The Philosophers Wheel. Website: philosopherswheel.com (click on Horoscope for the New Age, and then Predicting Presidential Elections); see also my youtube channel under Eric Meece and my video Election 2020 Preview.