Vice President: Something different to talk about

[Teppodama]

Just to wade out of the sewage that is the current presidential race for a moment I wanted to throw this out there as a possible topic of discussion.

It would be interesting if the office of Vice President was voted on by the public rather than left to the discretion of the presidential nominee. Imagine a Hillary/Sanders ticket or a Trump/Rubio ticket. Or even the potential drama of four years of a Democratic president with a Republican vice president.

Expand the role of the Vice President in regards to the Senate or even break up the roles of the President and the Vice President with the President’s primary responsibility being foreign policy and the Vice President’s being domestic.

 

[Limbo Pete]

Just to wade out of the sewage that is the current presidential race for a moment I wanted to throw this out there as a possible topic of discussion.

It would be interesting if the office of Vice President was voted on by the public rather than left to the discretion of the presidential nominee. Imagine a Hillary/Sanders ticket or a Trump/Rubio ticket. Or even the potential drama of four years of a Democratic president with a Republican vice president.

Expand the role of the Vice President in regards to the Senate or even break up the roles of the President and the Vice President with the President’s primary responsibility being foreign policy and the Vice President’s being domestic.

Bad idea
There is precedent

 

[Teppodama]

Bad idea
There is precedent

Yeah, Adams and Jefferson and Jefferson and Burr. But chaos can be beautiful too. Besides, the country has decided to hold up Trump and Hillary as the best our society has to offer to lead us so it's not like our judgement is all that sound anyway. Might as well throw a little more oil on the fire by tweeking the Vice Presidential role.

 

[Primitivo]

 

[Limbo Pete]

Yeah, Adams and Jefferson and Jefferson and Burr.

If we're talking about pres/vice pres from different parties, the example which leaps to my mind is Lincoln/Johnson. And the ramifications of that as reflected in reconstruction era policy permeated negatively through our society for the better part of the following 100 years.

 

[Teppodama]

Actually now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Trump were elected that he wouldn't just hand over most of the domestic policy work to Pence and just put his stamp on whatever worked. I'm sure he'd take on the face time with world leaders but once again foreign policy would also likely be Trump making big promises and tough talking then telling Pence to figure out how to make it work.