With all this talk of vice presidents--who's courting whom, and who would be best--it's interesting to note how underwhelming the position tends to be. Many VPs have grumbled about the position's deficits--likening it to imprisonment, etc. Presidents with very successful legacies can sometimes sweep a former-VP into the White House (see Reagan-Bush, though it took Nixon a long time to get there), but usually that only happens with assassination. More likely than not, a VP will never see the true seat of power: see Al Gore.
One of the most common refrains we have heard the past two weeks as speculation swirls around the objects of Obama's and McCain's personal pursuits is that you can only mess up your pick, not significantly help yourself. The old line was to find someone who could carry a state for you: but did Lloyd Bentsen carry Texas for Dukakis? Or John Edwards carry North Carolina for Kerry? George W. Bush picked Dick Cheney to add experience and foreign expertise to his package, and Obama may try for the same perception with a Joe Biden pick... it remains to be seen. It is also interesting to note the revolving door that many presidential terms had with their VP.
Did you know that most assumed presidencies--those terms completed by the VP after the death or resignation of the president--were completed without a VP? (see Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Johnson, Ford). It seems these former VPs--thrown into the stew without any time to formulate a 100-day plan--believed it unnecessary to get an able-bodied VP in da house to help bear the weight. Hmmm.
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