Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently posted on Reddit about passing up an unexpected opportunity to make the most of his fortune. In 2024, he was mentioned as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris’ bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. In 2012, Cuban was invited to run as vice-presidential candidate. He was not ultimately chosen. Rather than Buttigieg, however, the award went to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Cuban became a major defender of Harris once Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in early July 2024. In 2018, he campaigned aggressively on her behalf in critical swing states. His endorsement was significant, as he frequently spoke at rallies and events, rallying supporters in favor of Harris ahead of last year’s election.
In an interview with Miller, Cuban expressed his views on the potential implications of being chosen as Harris’ running mate. He reflected on his compatibility with the role, stating, “I’m not very good as a number-two person.” He was self-aware enough as a leader to realize that his own hard-charging, granitic personality and leadership style was ill-suited for the vice presidency.
Perhaps that’s for the best, Cuban humorously suggested on Thursday, given the challenges he would have encountered in that position. “The last thing we need is me telling Kamala, the president, ‘No, that’s a dumb idea.’ I’m not really good at shaking hands and kissing babies,” he said. This frank admission provides a clear look into his understanding of the pressures and responsibilities that come with being a vice president.
In a subsequent email, he expanded on his skepticism about how good he would have been in that role. “She would have fired me within six days,” Cuban stated, highlighting the stark contrast between his personality and that of Walz. He thinks this distinction made all the difference when it came time to make a vice presidential choice.
Though he was not selected, Cuban went on to argue that having somebody like him on the ticket could just change the entire dynamics of the campaign. He implied that the election results would have been different had he accepted the No. 2 position. His answer was a very sure, “It clearly would have been different.”
