To be honest, without Googling I don't know what powers the VP has. Is it equal to the President, but the President controls how much that person gets involved?
I don't remember Biden much as a VP, Pence is basically non-existent. The last VP that seemed to have a lot of press was Cheney. (I'm 36, so I don't have a lot to pull from: 8 year terms add up quickly.) How many times has a VP gone on to run for President?
I think of the VP as having a job much like portrayed by Julia Louis Dreyfus in Veep : )
** I hope that I can say such things above without turning this into a locked down post. I did not say anything... enticing, right? **
Last edited by andrew whicker; 10-23-2020 at 7:51 PM.
Actually in Canada you can become Prime Minister without running for office much less being elected (by the people). As Rod said, the PM is selected (by a vote among the members of their party) by the party in power and on at least one occasion, they have selected someone who is not a sitting member of Parliament. In typical Canadian fashion, when this happens, a junior Member of Parliament would step down in a safe riding and a by election would be held to elect the new PM. By typical Canadian fashion, I mean traditionally, the opposition parties would not run a candidate in the by election so the new PM would be guaranteed a seat. Until then he sits in the visitors gallery with the general public.
There is a good book on President Ford called "Write It When I'm Gone, Remarkable Off-the-Record Conversations with Gerald R. Ford". LINK I found it a fascinating story and an easy read.
Here's a summary: "In 1974, Newsweek correspondent Thomas M. DeFrank was interviewing Gerald Ford when the Vice President blurted out something astonishingly indiscreet. He then extracted a promise not to publish it. "Write it when I'm dead", Ford said, and thus began a thirty-two-year relationship. During the last fifteen years of their conversations, Ford opened up to DeFrank, speaking in a way few presidents ever have. Ford discusses his experiences with his fellow presidents, the Warren Commission, and his exchanges with Bill Clinton during the latter's impeachment process. In addition, he shares his thoughts about both Bush administrations, the Iraq war." He also talks about what he perceived about Hillary Clinton and other politicians he knew in his later years.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
I would have been 23 in 1974 and remember reading at the time, that he was chosen for VP specifically because of his integrity and the high respect he had earned among his fellow congress men and women.
When Harry Truman left office, he and Bess DROVE back to Missouri. Refused to serve on any corporate boards. Told them they weren't interested in him, but the office of POTUS, which wasn't for sale. Personally I think all should receive retirement at the end of their term, and never be allowed to work again. This would prevent them from profiting from having been in office. How many leave office, and immediately become lobbyest?
Lots of good story's about Truman. A guy had a flat tire in front of Truman's house. Truman helped him change it. Guy
says "you know, you look a lot like that SOB Truman" Truman smiled and said : "I am that SOB" and kept working.
He gave speeches with mentions about
how bad things were with Pres. Hoover. But when he needed a good engineer for a USA project he would call Hoover
and ask him to help. Hoover never refused. They got along well.
He went to Korea. An officer welcomed him and told him he would get him anything he wanted . Mentioned women.
Truman ,with loud voice rebuked him and told him "I don't run around on my Sweetheart and she doesn't run around on
me!"
Truman's daughter sang on a TV show and was panned by a critic. He said something about wanting to punch him in the
nose. That was pretty much an immediate public statement ,not something released years later.
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ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
FOUR - CO2 lasers
THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
ONE - vinyl cutter
CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle
Yes they did. I dont remember Mr. Truman mouthing off about Mr. Hoover, but maybe it was campaign rhetoric. It wouldn't surprise me. (That kind of campaign mouthing off caused the riff between him and General Eisenhower.) But Mr. Truman did go out of his way to help rebuild Mr. Hoover's self image - pulling him in for multiple consultations while he was President.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”