Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Worst Vice-Presidents in History

The Vice-Presidency isn't worth a warm bucket of piss. ~ John Nance Garner

Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea; the other was elected vice president of the United States. And nothing was heard of either of them again. ~ Thomas Marshall

The Vice Presidency is the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived. ~ John Adams
Teddy Roosevelt was made Vice-President to hide a potentially troublesome personality. Daniel Webster refused the Veep nomination saying he did not intent to be buried until he was dead. So useless is the office it is impossible to be a good Vice-President. It is possible, however, to particularly horrible.

Aaron Burr - Most Treacherous
Arron Burr was picked as Jefferson's running mate in 1800 to held win New York and because Alexander Hamilton hated him. Hamilton also hated Jefferson. When it came to the Electoral College, Burr used a flaw in the Constitution to try to steal the Presidency from Jefferson. Hamilton, hating Burr more, used his influence to save Jefferson.

While in office, Burr became so pissed at Hamilton he challenged him to a duel and killed Hamilton. Burr was charged and acquitted of murder.

After leaving the Vice-Presidency, Burr traveled west to the Ohio River Valley and tried to foment armed rebellion and create a new country with himself as emperor. Burr was tried for treason (picture) and acquitted.

John Breckinridge - Most Treasonous
Veep to James Buchanan at the barely legal age of 36. Ran for President in 1860 and lost to Lincoln. Even though his state, Kentucky, stayed in the Union, Breckinridge joined the Confederate Army, made the rank of major general, and fought in several major battles. Following the end of the Civil War, Breckinridge fled to Cuba to avoid trial for treason. He returned to Kentucky in 1869 after receiving amnesty.

Spiro Agnew - Most Crooked
Richard Nixon was the most crooked President in history, it is only proper that his Veep was the most crooked to hold that office.

Agnew was an arrogant SOB who loved taking bribes. This made his a darling to conservatives even though he was politically moderate. Agnew resigned from office ahead of his bribery trial. He pled "no contest" and paid a $10,000 fine which allowed him to keep $268,000 in bribes. Civil suits finally pried the rest of the money out of his clutches.

Dan Quayle - Dumbest
No one has more recently proved how unimportant the office is than Vice President Dan Quayle. Punked by Lloyd Bentsen in the 1988 debates. Prone to imbecilic statements ("I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future") and with an inability to spell simple words ("potatoe"), he was still renominated. His stupidity only made him more beloved by conservatives. His son, Congressman Ben Quayle, proving the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree, is equally moronic.

No comments: