Bad pick however you cut it both from the perspective of 1968 and obvisously in retrospect.

Agnew helped the Trickster win a couple of elections but he was, if anything, even more venal than his boss, which is saying a hell of a lot.

He was a good pick on paper, but he was a crook.  I am from Maryland, and unfortunately, the state has lots of political crooks, pound for pound.  Maryland is a great state, but throws up lots of scoundrels.  I hate to say it but Nancy Pelosi is from Maryland.

On the one hand it was pretty smart and practical to pick up Agnew to, among other things, try to get the blue collar and immigrant vote and the Archie Bunkers of the country, or the Northeast's equivalent of the rednecks. On the other hand, this disturbing and boorish figure, though less sinister than the current VP ( who isn't?) was more concerned about yanking songs like "One Toke Over the Line" from the airwaves than any feeling for napalmed 6 year old kids and old people, kind of like some of the most extreme right wingers on RIA actually...