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“No” Doesn’t Always Mean “No” in Politics

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Matthew Jaffe has a tip for prospective GOP vice presidential nominees: Start by saying you don’t want the job.

Four years ago, when speculation swirled over who Barack Obama would pick as his running mate, Joe Biden told them, “I’m not the guy.” Of course, just days later Biden was unveiled as Obama’s pick. 

In 2000, Dick Cheney said, “I have no absolutely no desire to go back to government.” But at the same time, Cheney was leading George W. Bush’s search for a running mate, a search that settled on Cheney himself. 

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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