Stateside Stories

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have both now chosen their running mates for the upcoming election. Trump’s is J.D. Vance, a senator from Ohio. At first, this choice may seem odd. In 2016, Vance was a harsh critic of Trump. By 2021, Vance saw how Trump appealed to the white working-class. Of America, and realised that supporting him may benefit his career. He apologised for previous comments he made about Trump, and also claimed that the 2020 election was ‘stolen’.

At the age of forty, Vance is one of the youngest Vice-Presidential candidates in US history. Perhaps this was a factor for Trump, a younger Vice President would help him appeal to younger voters. Vance also grew up in a working-class neighbourhood, and his parents got divorced when he was young. These traits may help the Republican Party to appeal to Americans who feel let down by the system; Trump and Vance would be representing those who do not normally have a voice in American politics. Going down the populist route worked for Trump in 2016, and it may work for him in 2024. Vance’s recent claims that Democrat voters were crazy cat-ladies may have gained him support from Republicans who despise the opposition. He may turn out to be the running mate that Trump needs.

Harris has also made the right decision when choosing her running mate. Tim Walz is the Governor of Minnesota, who used to be a high school teacher. Like Vance, Walz came from a humble background, growing up in a rural small town in Nebraska. He is the first candidate in the Democrat Party to not have studied law in over forty years. Walz appeals to both progressive and moderate Democrat Voters, making him valuable for Harris. His working-class origins, military service and previous profession has made him relatable for many blue-collar voters.

Walz is also a progressive politician. He is a staunch supporter of gay rights. He opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported the 2011 repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ rule, which stated that LGBT people could serve in the military, but only if they were closeted. He is also pro-choice, and has told voters about his and his wife’s use of IVF, something which some Republicans want banned. Trump and his team have already launched attacks against Walz. Trump has referred to him as “very into the transgender” and as someone who was very left-wing. Trump does not realise that he may be making Walz even more appealing to progressive voters!

With the Midwestern states being crucial battleground areas, both Trump and Harris have chosen running mates who could help their campaigns. However, not every president has chosen the correct running mate. There are some Vice Presidents who have been exceptional at their jobs. There are others who mainly brought shame and embarrassment to their Presidents. In this blog, I will be looking at two fantastic Vice Presidents: Al Gore and Joe Biden. I will also be looking at two terrible Vice Presidents: Spiro Agnew and Dan Quayle. These four individuals demonstrate how important the choice of running mate really is.

Good Vice Presidents

Al Gore (Vice President for Bill Clinton 1993-2001)

Al Gore is generally remembered as one of the best Vice Presidents of all time. He assisted and advised the President on many key issues that meant that Clinton administration achieved quite a lot over the course of eight years. The biggest achievement was the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. This allowed for free trade between Canada, the United States and Mexico. The was a gradual reduction in tariffs and trade barriers between the three nations, with customs duties on goods being gradually reduced. The United States had easier access to Mexican and Canadian goods, and American businesses could expand to these two nations. Gore played a vital role in helping Clinton pass NAFTA, helping the United States ease itself into the age of globalisation.

Gore was a genuine environmentalist who was concerned about the effects of climate change. Gore was very passionate about the Kyoto Protocol. This was an international agreement in which industrialised nations would gradually reduce their carbon footprints. 37 countries would be involved in the agreement, with the pressure being on developed nations as they were the ones causing the most damage to the environment. The Kyoto Protocol was first proposed in 1997, but was not ratified until 2005. Gore tried to encourage American interest in the agreement, but the US, along with Australia, refused to adopt the measures laid out in the Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol was ratified once Russia agreed to sign up in 2004. Whilst the United States did not join in the end, Gore is remembered for recognising the importance of international treaties and the importance of tackling climate change.

Gore ran for President in 2000, and came very close to winning. He won the popular vote by 500,000 votes, but lost the electoral college 271-266 to George W. Bush. It all came down to the state of Florida, which was so undecided that the Supreme Court had to get involved. After 15 days of deliberation, George Bush was the victor. It was the closest race in history, and many saw Gore as the worthy winner.

Joe Biden (Vice President for Barack Obama 2009-2017)

It may be difficult to believe given the last four years, but Joe Biden was a very efficient Vice President. When Obama and Biden took over the White House, America was dealing with the shock of the 2008 financial crash. Even middle-class Americans became worried about the dire financial situation. Biden did a lot to lessen the impact of the financial crisis. He assisted Obama in passing a key piece of legislation that would help Americans find a way out of this newfound hardship. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created new jobs, lessened the tax burden on the middle class, invested in infrastructure and education and helped to make healthcare more affordable. It was believed the act helped as many as 2.9 million people find employment.

Whilst his decision to quickly pull troops out of Afghanistan in 2021 may suggest otherwise, Joe Biden possessed a lot of expertise on foreign policy. Obama frequently relied on Biden for advice on how to deal with the Middle East. Obama and Biden worked together to end the war in Iraq in 2011. Inheriting a war from a previous administration is always difficult, but Obama and Biden managed it well. Biden also assisted Obama in improving relations with Russia. In 2010, the US and Russia signed an arms treaty that stated that both nations should reduce the number of their nuclear weapons by a third. The nuclear age will always be an age of instability, but reducing the number of weapons will help to ease concerns. Biden and Obama recognised the importance of cooperating with Russia, especially as both nations were concerned about Iran’s secret nuclear weapons program. In order to keep Iran in line, the US and Russia would both have to place sanctions on the nation. 2010 marked one of the many brief periods of cooperation between the two nations.

Bad Vice Presidents

Spiro Agnew (Vice President for Richard Nixon 1969-1973)

The Nixon administration was the perfect example of how not to run a country. This included Nixon’s first Vice President Spiro Agnew. Agnew seemed like an odd choice for the role. He was not well known by the public, and a number of politicians in the Republican Party strongly disliked him due to his outlandish behaviour. He had only served as the Governor of Maryland for a year when Nixon chose him as his running mate, and did not have much experience. Agnew would frequently denounce Democrats and Moderate Republicans. He would refer to anybody he did not like as communists, hippies and subversive (not much has changed in American politics during the last five decades). He alienated nearly everybody that he came across, and was known for being rude and unpleasant. Agnew had a fairly limited role as Vice President, perhaps because even Nixon was aware of his bizarre behaviour and the negative effects that he had on people.

Things were about to get much worse. In 1973, Agnew faced criminal charges for bribery, extortion and income tax fraud. It was revealed that he would take kickbacks from contractors whilst he was the Governor of Maryland. He also failed to file a tax return of $29,500. Agnew initially brushed off the charges. He genuinely believed that Vice Presidents were too powerful to be indicted for criminal charges. It turns out that he was mistaken. He was fined $10,000 and was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation. He was lucky that he was not sent to prison. However, he was forced to resign as Vice President. He was replaced by Gerald Ford, who would only be the Vice President for one year as Richard Nixon was also forced to resign as President due to his involvement in the Watergate Scandal. It turned out that Agnew was not the only corrupt member of the Republican Party in the 1970’s.

Dan Quayle (Vice President for George H. W. Bush 1989- 1993)

Many have said that if a Vice President ends up in the news, it is normally not for a good reason. Dan Quayle is living proof of that statement. He was frequently the subject of headlines, normally ridiculing him for ridiculous statements that he had made. Quayle’s time as the Vice President was doomed from the start. During the 1988 Vice-Presidential debates, Quayle addressed his lack of political experience, comparing himself to John Kennedy who he believed had the same level of experience as him when he became the President. The Democrat nominee for Vice President, Lloyd Bentsen instantly put Quayle in his place with the now famous quote “you’re no Jack Kennedy”. Even before being elected Quayle’s time as Vice President got off to a shaky start.

Things got worse after he and Bush took over the White House in 1989. Quayle’s terrible way with words would come back to haunt him multiple times. He once stated that he wished he studied Latin in school so he would be able to easily communicate with the people of Latin America. Quayle’s lack of intelligence would make the papers again as he corrected a young child’s correct spelling of ‘potato’. Quayle was certain that it had an ‘e’ at the end. He also once mistakenly stated that the US was a part of Europe. Perhaps he meant that it was part of Europe metaphorically; but his words suggested that he did not understand basic geography.

Quayle also had a habit of stating the obvious. He claimed that “quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teaches our children.” The clue is in the name. He also conjured up the profound statement of “if we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure.” Quayle’s gaffes frequently served to embarrass the President and the American people. Many wondered how anyone could have believed that he was the best option for the role of Second in Command. What were the other candidates like? Quayle and Bush were not elected for a second term. Whilst Quayle certainly did not help matters, it was Bush’s broken promise of “no new taxes” that sealed their fate. They lost the 1992 election to Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore.