By William Haupt III | The Center Square contributor
“Taking this job was the worst damn fool mistake I ever made.” – John Garner III, VP, FDR 1934
A popular New York talk radio show host used to do a “man on the street” segment where he’d ask people about current events and politics. Most of the answers he received were worse than bad. It was incredulous how few people knew which party controlled Congress, and even what party the president belonged to. And it was literally shameless how few knew who their vice president was?
In retrospect, people can be forgiven for knowing little about the vice president, since traditionally it has been little more than a “booby prize.” In fact, it is such an insignificant position that Huntington, Indiana, birthplace of VP Dan Quayle is home to the nation’s only museum devoted to information and achievements of our nation’s past second-highest office holders, America’s vice presidents.
Since America’s presidents are the high profile good or bad guys, we have to search the archives of history for bits and pieces of information to learn about vice presidents. If they did not become the president, or infamous for something like Joe Biden’s gaffs, Dan Quayle’s English miscues, or even Spiro Agnew’s bribery scandal, once they left office most became another footnote in history.
“Half the time I don’t have a clue what Joe is saying, but, well, that’s Joe for you.” – Barack Obama
The Constitution gave almost no role to the vice president, apart from casting a tie-breaking Senate vote and ascending to the presidency if the president died in office. John Adams, the first person to take this dubious job, said: “It’s the most insignificant office invention that the man ever contrived.”
Candidates never mention running mates until after their nomination. But that changed last election when Joe Biden received a letter from 700 Black activist men and women demanding if he was the Democratic nominee, “he better pick a Black woman as a running mate or he’d lose the election.”
This ushered in the era of woke politics. Within days, Biden revealed his serendipity to MSNBC’s Joy Reid that he had decided to pick a Black woman as a running mate and had narrowed down the selection to four candidates. He vowed to announce the pick as soon as they were vetted.
“I’m under no pressure to do this. I’m choosing the most qualified person in America.” – Joe Biden
Since this Black woman would be president in waiting, the day the DNC revealed that progressive Kamala Harris would be Biden’s VP, there was a panic media-blitz to reinvent her political past and plan her presidential future. The election quickly became about Harris with Biden her running mate.
The liberal media instantly turned into a propaganda machine to turn ultra-progressive Harris into a moderate. NPR, Politico, LA Times, the New Yorker, NY Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Baltimore Sun, Seattle Times and more came up with fairy tales about Harris’ Congressional voting record and moderate politics. They stretched the truth so far that even Pinocchio could not compete with them.
For the first time in U.S. history, the presidential election was about the vice president. Democrats went to extremes to shelter Kamala Harris’ past. Operatives from Pro-Choice, the Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood, Supermajority, and more sent media a list of topics to avoid while discussing Harris’ past. They urged “extreme caution” while reporting everything about Harris.
We’ve all made wishes that come true only to find what we received was not what we wanted. The Democrats, Black activists and media over-sold Kamala Harris. Biden has show-cased her since day one. Yet she has failed to live up to her press clippings and is blaming everyone but herself.
“I believe if I was a white male I’d be judged differently on what I’ve accomplished.” – Kamala Harris
Harris received more publicity than anyone running for vice president in history and has been the focus of attention of media for almost a year. Yet no matter how they hype her bi-racial ethnicity and her sex, Harris’ popularity with progressives and Democrats is waning along with her poll numbers. Harris’ job performance in the latest Gallup poll slipped to 54% disapproval.
A former aide informed CNN that Harris told her, “It’s hard to miss the energy the White House has to defending a white man who is taking hits for the West Wing.” Yet she asked for a high profile job so Biden put her in charge of our border policies. And now she is blaming the White House for her lack of success?
“The vice presidency became a resting place for mediocrities.” – Arthur Schlesinger
When it was recently reported that Harris was given the dubious job of sitting at a White House computer to monitor incoming emails, her supporters came unhinged. Yet one White House aide told a reporter this is something all past vice presidents have had to do occasionally in the past.
In reaction to her somber poll numbers, Harris’ allies started a campaign to run interference for her. California Lt Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris confidant, confirmed she isn’t happy with many things she has been asked to do. “Those that know her know she can do a lot more.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “Kamala Harris is a key player and a leader in this administration.”
The vice presidency never was a high profile position. The VP did whatever they were asked to do with dignity. No past vice president ever criticized their role in the government or the White House.
“Over most of America’s history, the vice president has been standby equipment.” – Walter Mondale
According to the media, Harris would be “programmed to step into office” the day Biden “stepped down.” In public, in an effort to showcase Harris to America, she has become Biden’s shadow. Biden seldom makes a public appearance or goes on camera without Harris looking over his shoulder.
The DNC even hired a special consultant to help expand Harris’ portfolio. But that did not go well. According to former staff members interviewed by CNN, there was only so much he could do with her resume. And the rest of the time they spent buffering tweets and countering negative stories.
Rousseau told us, “The world of reality has its limits.” In the era of woke politics, the media and her supporters over-sold Harris and her job when she became the default Democratic candidate. She was not vetted in the same way that other VPs have been in the public or by the progressive left.
Picking anyone for the second highest office in the nation only because of race or sex is wrong.
The elephant in the room is woke politics. Just because enough people say something is true, that does not mean it is “true” if everyone knows that it is false. Progressives are pushing woke-ness on America and people are rebelling. Although parties choose our candidates, you can’t force voters to like them if they dislike that person’s past voting record or if they feel they are not qualified for their office.
“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
