Republican Vice Presidential Nominees

One Year Of Vice President JD Vance: A Worrisome Scenario As Potential Successor In The Oval Office!

It has been almost a full year since JD Vance took the oath of office as Vice President of the United States,

It is an extremely worrisome situation that Vance is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, at a time when we have a demented, seriously abusive Commander in Chief, who seems in rapid decline, with the thought that he is unlikely to survive the next three years in office.

Republican Presidents and Presidential nominees have had a group of horrendous Vice Presidents and Vice Presidential nominees in the past six decades, but in many ways, Vance is worse than any of them, including the least government experience of any of them.

Some history—Barry Goldwater in 1964 had New York Congressman William E. Miller as his running mate.

Gerald Ford had Kansas Senator Bob Dole as his running mate in 1976.

Bob Dole in 1996 had former New York Congressman Jack Kemp as his running mate.

John McCain had Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008.

Mitt Romney had Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate in 2012.

Miller and Palin were particularly unqualified choices for Vice President, and Kemp and Ryan were just barely perceived as acceptable, while Dole was seen as a better choice than any of them.

But then, we had Vice Presidents who were horrors, including Spiro Agnew under President Richard Nixon; Dan Quayle under President George H. W. Bush; Dick Cheney under President George W. Bush; and Mike Pence under President Donald Trump in his first term.

Agnew was forced out of office for corruption and incompetence, and Quayle was clearly mediocre and not very bright. Cheney was competent, but abusive and scary, while Pence came across as too willing to bend to Trump, until finally, at the crucial moment on January 6, 2021, he demonstrated some guts and principle.

At the same time, other Republican Vice Presidents were seen as far more qualified, including future Presidents Gerald Ford under Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush under Ronald Reagan. Also, Nelson Rockefeller under Gerald Ford served in an admirable fashion, concerning right wing Republicans when President Ford was twice threatened by potential assassins in the month of September 1975.

Now, we have JD Vance, with only two years as a US Senator, promoted by right wing billionaire Peter Thiel, and willing to say or do anything to promote Project 2025.

Vance has disgraced himself with his utterances on a multitude of matters in one year in the Vice Presidency, including his outrageous comments about Rene Nicole Good, who was murdered by ICE agent Jonathan David Ross, in Minneapolis two days ago.

Instead of trying to avoid conflict and soothe public discourse, this man, who has completely changed his view of Donald Trump over the past decade from critic to sycophant, is willing to divide and incite in every way possible on all kinds of issues.

The thought that he could, shortly, become President, is an absolute horror, and at this point, he appears far worse than ANY Republican Vice President or running mate in the past six decades!

To be perceived as worse than Agnew or Quayle in the Vice Presidency in particular, or Palin as a potential Vice President in particular, is making clear just how dangerous the present situation is!

The crisis the nation faces, with a reprehensible combination of Trump and Vance being the leadership of our nation, is a massive constitutional crisis without an acceptable alternative at present!

Kamala Harris Starting To Demonstrate Her Strengths As Vice President, And Potential Future President!

Kamala Harris has been Vice President for two and a half years now, and she has had a poor public image, being often portrayed as weak and ineffective, in public opinion polls.

A lot of this is pure right wing propaganda, with heavy elements of misogyny and racism.

If one examines earlier Vice Presidents of the Republican variety, one realizes how horrendous they were:

Mike Pence, unwilling even now to stand up to Donald Trump for his transgressions, including the threat to the lives of Pence and his family on January 6, 2021.

Dick Cheney, technically qualified, but a miserable wretch of a human being.

Dan Quayle, a total disaster and embarrassment as Vice President.

Spiro Agnew, a crooked felon, forced out of office.

And then the Republican Vice Presidential nominees who, thankfully, never were in that role:

Sarah Palin 2008

Paul Ryan 2012

Jack Kemp 1996

William E Miller 1964

And then, the potential Vice Presidential list for Donald Trump, if he became the Presidential nominee again, a total nightmare of lunacy and insanity!

Meanwhile, Democratic Vice Presidents and nominees were superior by far:

Hubert Humphrey 1964
Edmund Muskie 1968
Sargent Shriver 1972
Walter Mondale 1976, 1980
Lloyd Bentsen 1988
Al Gore 1992, 1996
Joe Lieberman 2000
Joe Biden 2008, 2012
Tim Kaine 2016

The only terrible choices were Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and John Edwards in 2004.

Harris has had an impressive career in California Government, and has been, by necessity, the most active Vice President, due to the narrow division of the Senate, necessitating that she break more tie votes in the Senate than any Vice President, surpassing John C. Calhoun under President Andrew Jackson from 1829-1832, recently!

Harris is now becoming significant, as she makes the issues of women’s rights and civil rights the center of attention, including attacking the end of abortion rights, and the promotion of outrageous interference with the teaching of American history and slavery, as advocated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and spreading nationwide in Republican states!

This is raising her profile, as she would certainly be the frontrunner to be President after Joe Biden, either when he leaves office, or if he was unable to finish his time in office!

Republican Presidential Nominees And Presidents, And Their Running Mates: No Love Lost, Historically!

It is clear from the study of history and news coverage over the past half century that Republican Presidential candidate and even Republican Presidents have NOT been enamored with their Vice Presidential running mates or Vice Presidents.

We go back to Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew as the first example, with Nixon using Agnew to attack the news media and Democrats in the midterm 1970 Congressional elections, but having little personal regard for him, and unwilling to come to his support when Agnew was revealed to be engaged in corruption, which would force his resignation in October 1973.

Then, Nixon selected Gerald Ford as his Vice Presidential replacement more on the idea that he felt that Ford, while well liked in Congress, would not be seen by opposition Democrats as all that competent to replace Nixon during the impeachment crisis of 1973-1974.

Gerald Ford seems to have really admired and felt comfortable with Nelson Rockefeller as his Vice President under the 25th Amendment, but agreed to drop him from the ticket in 1976 to please conservatives, led by Ronald Reagan, and to select Senator Bob Dole of Kansas as his replacement.

Ronald Reagan may have utilized George H. W. Bush’s expertise, but had little personal regard for Bush, and the Bushes were never invited to dinner at the White House during the eight years of their association.

Bush certainly had little faith and trust in Dan Quayle during his Presidency, and the nation knew it, and worried about the incompetence of Quayle.

Bob Dole’s selection of Jack Kemp in 1996 to be his running mate as Vice President certainly was not as a result of friendship or warmth, and they seemed an ill fit, often disagreeing during the campaign.

George W. Bush selected Dick Cheney in 2000 due to his vast experience, and allowed himself to be dominated in the first term, but their association soured dramatically in the second term.

John McCain seems to have been forced to select Sarah Palin in 2008, and Palin helped to undermine McCain, but McCain continues to defend Palin even today, although it seems clear how uncomfortable he is when answering questions about Palin.

The Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan connection in 2012 seems also not to have been one of great warmth and friendship.

And Mike Pence is squirming a lot as Vice Presidential running mate for Donald Trump, seeing Trump contradict him openly and making clear his lack of regard for Pence, including being upset that Pence performed better in his debate with Tim Kaine, than Trump did with Hillary Clinton in their three Presidential debates.