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Who Cares About the VP?
Seems everyone's talking about prospective vice presidential candidates. But who cares about the vice president?
Go ahead and laugh but the VP view of the "founding fathers" wasn't far from the sentiment embedded in that question.
An afterthought in the construction of the Constitution, it was on Sept. 6, 1787 that America's powdered-wig wearin' Constitutional Convention approved Alexander Hamilton's proposal to create the office of the vice-presidency, declaring that the Veep should be the runner-up in the race to be president.
That's how VP's were picked until the rules were changed to allow presidential nominees to pick their running mates, which has since been used as a way for candidates to garner more votes with a "more balanced" ticket.
The first two vice presidents had two different perspectives. John Adams famously quipped: "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."
Jefferson wrote: "The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery."
Is it a stretch to think Jefferson considered the vice-presidency "honorable and easy" because, as Adams observed, it's "the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived"?
As recently as the beginning of the 20th century, VP's were still considered of such little consequence that when Vice President Garret Augustus Hobart died in November of 1899, the office was left vacant, as it had been on ten previous occasions for periods ranging from several months to as long as four years. Don't you just love progress? We've gone from the marginal significance of the vice-presidency to the shadowy co-presidency of Dick Cheney. And while Cheney is arguably the most powerful (and secretive) vice in U.S. history, the transformation of the office began long before he was officially embedded in the White House.
The first VP, John Adams, attended a Cabinet meeting in 1791; something no other VP did until 1918 -- the year President Wilson asked Vice President Marshall to preside over the Cabinet while he was off at the Paris Peace Conference.
The expanded role of the vice presidency took another leap when President Warren Harding invited his VP, Calvin Coolidge, to attend all Cabinet meetings.
But, it was Vice President Charles G. Dawes who, in refusing to attend Cabinet sessions, cautioned that by doing so, "the precedent might prove injurious to the country." (Did he foresee Cheney?)
The response to Dawes warning: precedent, schmecedent!
Eisenhower took it to the next level, directing Vice President Nixon to preside over Cabinet meetings in his absence instead of following precedent in which the Secretary of State presided.
JFK and LBJ kept the VP snowball rolling before handing it off to Carter and Reagan, both of whom further expanded the office. Bush and Clinton followed suit.
Then came the JFK expansion, making LBJ chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council and the head of the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity.
Johnson kept the ball rolling when he became president, appointing Hubert H. Humphrey to lead his administration's anti-poverty and civil rights programs. Nixon followed up by putting Spiro T. Agnew in charge of promoting the administration's domestic policies with state and local officials.
Walter Mondale helped President Carter craft U.S. policy in South Africa and was at the forefront of Carter's effort to reorganize the U.S. intelligence community.
Vice President George H. W. Bush -- the first VP to serve as acting president (while President Reagan underwent surgery) -- ran the group of advisers that provided Reagan with recommendations of how to respond to foreign flare-ups.
Quayle, believe it or not, headed the National Space Council, while Gore was given a primary role in foreign affairs, environmental policy, and the taxpayer subsidized effort to hand over government communications research and technology to private profiteers.
(And they say government doesn't help create wealth. Tell that to all the entrepreneurs who have made a fortune using technology initially funded with taxpayer R & D money. Gore didn't invent the internet but he did carry on the long-standing government tradition of giving taxpayer-subsidized research and technology over to private companies for "free" -- the kind of bottom-up transfer of wealth free-market purists like to pretend doesn't exist and never enters the hand-wringing discussion over government hand-outs. But I digress).
So here we are, coming off eight years of the Imperial Vice Presidency of Dick Cheney, which seems to have conditioned us into thinking the VP must be something more significant than a bench-warmer called in to do PR work like representing the White House at state dinners and funerals the President can't make or getting involved in First Spouse kinda stuff like reading to kindergartners in the "inner-city."
Not to understate the semi-importance of VP candidates (especially in Obama's unique case, given America's historical penchant for assassination, especially popular leaders labeled by racial politics as "black") but, isn't it more important to bring some focus to bear on Israel flirting with an attack on Iran?
An Israeli-Iranian war would undoubtedly draw in the U.S. military, putting over 100,000 U.S. troops now stationed in Iraq in the middle of a mess that'll make the insurgency look like kiddie play; not to mention the potential for the needless death of even more innocents, fanning the flames of the self-fulfilling prophecy of Armageddon that millions of Bush supporters hope to speed up.
Memo to national news editors: We got into Iraq with cooked intelligence and escalating sanctions under the guise of "diplomacy." Fool us once, shame on them. Fool us twice and, never mind, shame -- say hello to zero credibility.
Sean Gonsalves is a columnist and news editor with the Cape Cod Times. He can be reached at sgonsalves@capecodonline.com
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23 Comments so far
Show AllIt's the old "a heartbeat away from the presidency" thing. Personally, I think a running mate should be chosen MUCH earlier in the alleged process and be judged just as highly (Well, as highly as an idiot population CAN judge!)and thoroughly.
Who cares about the vice president? Sean, you got to be kidding us with that one. We just had 8 years of Dick Cheney running the country!
I think McCain should choose The Most Interesting Man In The World, the macho, faux Hemingway pitchman for Dos Equis beer, as his running mate. He's extremely telegenic, will obviously do quite well with women and most importantly, seems to know everything. Since McCain is only marginally more intelligent than George Wanker Bush, he will need at least one person with more than a handful of brains to save him from the same fate as his predecessor. The Most Interesting In The World can actually run the government and McCain can go around saying, "Stay thirsty, my friends". I wonder if his wife's beer distributorship includes Dos Equis? Would this be a conflict of interest?; not that it would matter a bit to a grand hustler like McCain.
For the US Constitution 2.0, we just eliminate the damn office and let the Speaker take over in the president's absence.
I'm still wondering exactly WHEN Dick Cheney determined (for himself) that the constitution was no more than a meaningless piece of paper suited to purists and dopes. My bet would be when his buddy Nixon got hounded from office, he came to the same conclusion I have-- the constitution is for the players, not the people. And having determined the inoperation of constitutional dictates, his swearing an oath of office would bear no greater compunction on his conscience had he instead sworn on an original 45 of "Heartbreak Hotel."
wasn't shrub's daddy, former DCIA, really running the country while raygun was president? ("out of the loop" my ass). one school of thought holds that he still is.
and while we're on the subject, yes, we should know early on who the VP candidates will be, the better to assess the tops of the tickets.
better yet, make the candidates submit a draft budget. let's see if their numbers match up with their bloviating.
Who cares is right. The Democratic nominee is an establishment candidate (again), his running mate will be as well. The people backing Obama (the largest single backers are investment banks) wouldn't back him if he chose a populist, even light like Edwards, candidate. Someone like Richardson will probably be picked, a "centrist" guy who says enough of the code words like "free market" to make them feel secure. Am I cynical enough?
I, for one, hope he does pick Richardson.
"An Israeli-Iranian war would undoubtedly draw in the US military....." No, no, no, a thousand times no.
Israel has gone to war against one or more of its neighbors many times since 1948. Not once has the United States military yet been "drawn in" by some mysterious, osmotic process "undoubtedly" beyond human control.
There is absolutely no reason why thinking Americans should cede the notion that because George Bush put 160,000 American troops recklessly in harm's way in Iraq, that he should not be held accountable to the requirements of our Constitution if Israel does recklessly choose to bomb Persia, for whatever political or religious rationale the Israelis might suddenly muster up.
Only Congress can declare war, even in its modern format of an AUMF resolution.
Damn right, if Israel or the Pentagon or both escalate military hostilities into Iran prior to President Bush leaving office in January, 2009, our troops will indeed be caught up "in the middle of a mess that'll be make the insurgency look like kiddie play", as Sean Gonsalves aptly notes.
But that catastrophically stupid strategic blunder absolutely, positively, and under no circumstances authorizes George W. Bush to expand his existing two wars into a third war against another, different nation state. It is irresponsible journalism (from an otherwise fine journalist) to even suggest otherwise.
Bill from Saginaw
"But that catastrophically stupid strategic blunder absolutely, positively, and under no circumstances authorizes George W. Bush to expand his existing two wars into a third war against another, different nation state. It is irresponsible journalism (from an otherwise fine journalist) to even suggest otherwise."
Bill from Saginaw
Absolutely!
safiyyah June 24th, 2008 12:26 pm
"Who cares about the vice president? Sean, you got to be kidding us with that one. We just had 8 years of Dick Cheney running the country"
No one can deny that.
More importantly, McCains choice could be President any time after he won the election. They could be swearing in the VP as President in January.
Obama, not as important unless he wants to win. Webb, Biden and others he probabnly wins.....Richardson, Hillary, probably loses.
What do you think if he picks Kucinich?
Who cares about the vice presidency? That depends on who McCain picks. If he picks a woman, as I expect him to do due to his otherwise uninteresting personna, every woman in the country is going to suddenly care about it.
Then, Barack had better still be open to inviting good ole Mrs. Clinton----because if he doesn't, he (we) will likely lose. The notion that Condi or Heather or Carly could fly in out of nowhere to slap, slap. slap liberal women for 4 (or 12) years is beyond the pale. And probably EXACTLY what Republicans will try to do. They have few other pathways for success, you know.
bluesky June 24th, 2008 5:26 pm
Actually it could work.
Daniel David June 24th, 2008 6:04 pm
Condi or Heather or Carly
Now talk about you guaranteed loser nominations.
bluesky: What do you think if he picks Kucinich?
Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! Yeah...That'll happen!!!
Obummer would have to be on corporate-donation withdrawal and a do-what's-right drug to pick someone who gives a shit about people who don't belong to the Elitist Club.
At this monent I believe Nancy is only two heartbeats away
I wish reality would sink in here. Or is it just that I'm so old and most of the posters here are still in high school? If that's the case, your complete lack of pragmatism is understandable, even sorta cute, in a no contact with the real world sorta way. If not, we're in a heap of trouble.
How about McCain/Leiberman? They are joined at the hip anyway.
Not sure who has the scariest comment: GKL or whatfools.
Bluesky - If Obama were to pick Kucinich as Veep I would immediately run outside into the middle of the road, stand in the traffic and scream "Yes!" at the top of my lungs until they completely gave out, start a First Church of Obama, say "I told you so" to all the Obama haters here until I was forever banned from CD and change my name to Hussein.
I think I'm pretty safe in assuming I won't be doing any of those things.
It's important who Obama picks, since Obama will probably get his butt blown away before or after the election sometime.
I would hope not, but I would suggest that they double up the security around him.
Actually Obama should take a page from Bush's playbook and pick someone who the public would hate even more than him. After all, Cheaney has kept Bush alive all these years!!
Personally, I hope Obama picks Richardson or Napolitano for veep. Then the really smart move would be for Barack to completely junk tradition, and formally announce that John Edwards will be the new Attorney General - then sending Edwards out on the campaign trail to focus on the need to restore respect for the rule of law and the Bill of Rights.
Bill from Saginaw
After all, Cheaney has kept Bush alive all these years!!
There are some really good posts showing up this week.
Personally, I like Bill Richardson, but you have to remember that "strategy" will play a part in the choice for VP. Think about it...Presidential candidate is half black...VP half Mexican. That certainly will scare the hell out of the dyed in the wool racists out there and those who blame the immigration problems for all that ails our country. and will certainly be considered.
Hillary is a NO for me...personality conflicts. As for Nancy Pelosi,...well, she has proven to be an enabler and panderer when you see those photos of her smiling adoringly at Bush and patting his arm. Disgusting!
The hope is for a person of like mindedness, of high capabilities, and the necessary grit for Mr. Obama...someone who can work well with him to begin the restoration of the Constitution, bring the end to this illegal and immoral war, address the climate crisis, promote sustainable and renewable energy sources, provide the option for national health insurance, improve the economy and repair our standing in the world community.
Whew! That's a tall order, and Mr. Obama knows it.