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

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.