VICE PRESIDENTS, The good, the bad and the ugly.
The office of Vice President has long been held as a somewhat insignificant position. On Dec. 19, 1793 Vice President John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail, “my Country has in its Wisdom contrived for me, the most insignificant Office that ever the Invention of Man contrived or his imagination conceived.”
FDR’s first Vice President, a colorful gent from Texas named John Nance Garner said it a little less poetically. He was quoted saying, “The Vice Presidency isn’t worth a warm bucket of piss.” The media cleaned it up a bit changing piss to spit but his sentiment carried through.
FDR’s last Vice President, Harry Truman, would go on to finish out Rosevelt’s final term after he died in office. It was a troubling time and we were embroiled in World War II. It still boggles my mind that Truman knew nothing about our secret weapon, the atomic bomb, that had just been produced. Those working on the project approached Truman with the information after he assumed the office of the presidency. Truman had to make that decision to use it. The reason we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan was because we didn’t have three, lucky for us Japan didn’t know that.
John Kennedy picked Lyndon Johnson as his Vice President because he needed the Texas electoral votes. Johnson had also been a candidate but came up short on nominating votes. The two men never particularly got along and Kennedy never really sought council with Johnson about anything. Kennedy’s go-to guy for advice was his brother Robert, who was attorney General during JFK’s presidency. Johnson took the oath of office as president on Air Force One following the assassination of Kennedy. Johnson finished Kennedy’s term and one of his own before making his infamous speech, “I will not seek, nor will I accept my party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States.” I am writing from memory so this may not be word for word.
Nixon's Vice President, Spiro T Agnew resigned due to charges stemming from criminal conspiracy, bribery, and extortion. He supposedly took kickbacks but later Nixon would be in the midst of his own legal problems which led to his own resignation from office. Nixon’s vice president, Gerald Ford, was appointed to fill the vacancy left with Agnew’s resignation. The joke at the time was Ford and Nixon ran into each other in the hallway and Nixon said, “pardon me” and When Ford took over following Nixon’s resignation, he did.
Ronald Reagon’s vice president, George HW Bush, like many before and after him became president in his own right. Bush had been a Naval pilot in World War II, becoming the youngest to receive their wings, flying 58 missions. Bush served in several appointed positions including CIA director.
Dan Quayle, the vice president under George H. W. Bush was considered by most as unqualified for the position. That added to his inability to spell potato made him the fodder of late night television and stand up comedians.
Bill Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore became as well known for his climate change stand as anything he ever did as vice president. It made him a wealthy man. At that time it was still called Global Warming. When he campaigned for the presidency in 1999 his net worth was about 1.7 million, but today his net worth is estimated as $300 million.
Vice President Dick Cheney was as well known for His hunting accident, accidentally shooting a Texas Attorney Henry Whittington. Cheney’s critic’s couldn’t believe he had a chance to rid the world of an attorney but only managed to wound him. Cheney was an early proponent of the Iraq war and was instrumental in the intelligence reports stating the existence of weapons of mass destruction, when none was ever found.
I haven't got a clue why Obama picked Joe Bidden as Vice President. Maybe to balance things out. Biden had a great deal of experience in government while Obama had little. I am sure Hillary Clinton was on his list but she had a lot of baggage. Bidden had experience in congressional negotiation compared to Obama’s youthful inexperience.
Pence was a surprise from the beginning, since he was one of the candidates running against Trump in the primary race but without success. That happens often however, especially in the past. Trump’s secretary of housing and urban development, Ben Carson, had also been a candidate in the primaries against Trump. Pence’s most important role was as a mediator between Trump and congressional republicans. His most notable role was the certification of the 2020 election.
Kamala Harris I won’t comment on much due to the ongoing political campaign for president. I am sure Biden chose her in hopes to gather votes from younger voters, female voters and minority voters. I can’t speak to whether or not those votes materialized or whether she was the reason for them. Biden appointed Harris to be in charge of border security in 2021. That has not been a fruitful endeavor.
FDR’s first Vice President, a colorful gent from Texas named John Nance Garner said it a little less poetically. He was quoted saying, “The Vice Presidency isn’t worth a warm bucket of piss.” The media cleaned it up a bit changing piss to spit but his sentiment carried through.
FDR’s last Vice President, Harry Truman, would go on to finish out Rosevelt’s final term after he died in office. It was a troubling time and we were embroiled in World War II. It still boggles my mind that Truman knew nothing about our secret weapon, the atomic bomb, that had just been produced. Those working on the project approached Truman with the information after he assumed the office of the presidency. Truman had to make that decision to use it. The reason we dropped two atomic bombs on Japan was because we didn’t have three, lucky for us Japan didn’t know that.
John Kennedy picked Lyndon Johnson as his Vice President because he needed the Texas electoral votes. Johnson had also been a candidate but came up short on nominating votes. The two men never particularly got along and Kennedy never really sought council with Johnson about anything. Kennedy’s go-to guy for advice was his brother Robert, who was attorney General during JFK’s presidency. Johnson took the oath of office as president on Air Force One following the assassination of Kennedy. Johnson finished Kennedy’s term and one of his own before making his infamous speech, “I will not seek, nor will I accept my party’s nomination for the presidency of the United States.” I am writing from memory so this may not be word for word.
Nixon's Vice President, Spiro T Agnew resigned due to charges stemming from criminal conspiracy, bribery, and extortion. He supposedly took kickbacks but later Nixon would be in the midst of his own legal problems which led to his own resignation from office. Nixon’s vice president, Gerald Ford, was appointed to fill the vacancy left with Agnew’s resignation. The joke at the time was Ford and Nixon ran into each other in the hallway and Nixon said, “pardon me” and When Ford took over following Nixon’s resignation, he did.
Ronald Reagon’s vice president, George HW Bush, like many before and after him became president in his own right. Bush had been a Naval pilot in World War II, becoming the youngest to receive their wings, flying 58 missions. Bush served in several appointed positions including CIA director.
Dan Quayle, the vice president under George H. W. Bush was considered by most as unqualified for the position. That added to his inability to spell potato made him the fodder of late night television and stand up comedians.
Bill Clinton’s vice president, Al Gore became as well known for his climate change stand as anything he ever did as vice president. It made him a wealthy man. At that time it was still called Global Warming. When he campaigned for the presidency in 1999 his net worth was about 1.7 million, but today his net worth is estimated as $300 million.
Vice President Dick Cheney was as well known for His hunting accident, accidentally shooting a Texas Attorney Henry Whittington. Cheney’s critic’s couldn’t believe he had a chance to rid the world of an attorney but only managed to wound him. Cheney was an early proponent of the Iraq war and was instrumental in the intelligence reports stating the existence of weapons of mass destruction, when none was ever found.
I haven't got a clue why Obama picked Joe Bidden as Vice President. Maybe to balance things out. Biden had a great deal of experience in government while Obama had little. I am sure Hillary Clinton was on his list but she had a lot of baggage. Bidden had experience in congressional negotiation compared to Obama’s youthful inexperience.
Pence was a surprise from the beginning, since he was one of the candidates running against Trump in the primary race but without success. That happens often however, especially in the past. Trump’s secretary of housing and urban development, Ben Carson, had also been a candidate in the primaries against Trump. Pence’s most important role was as a mediator between Trump and congressional republicans. His most notable role was the certification of the 2020 election.
Kamala Harris I won’t comment on much due to the ongoing political campaign for president. I am sure Biden chose her in hopes to gather votes from younger voters, female voters and minority voters. I can’t speak to whether or not those votes materialized or whether she was the reason for them. Biden appointed Harris to be in charge of border security in 2021. That has not been a fruitful endeavor.
