Opinion: It’s Time to Start Taking Vice Presidents Seriously
The recent diagnosis of President Trump with COVID-19 has laid bare a harsh reality of the 2020 election: vice presidential candidates matter more than ever. In a race dominated by a global pandemic, where either presidential candidate would be the oldest executive ever elected to their office, personal health crises can easily spiral into national ones without the safety net of a strong and capable VP. Despite a long history on the peripheries of the executive branch, the vice presidential office is experiencing a moment of pivotal importance due to the current global health crisis. In light of this, the American voters should be ready to evaluate the upcoming vice presidential debates with every degree of scrutiny devoted to the top-ticket candidates. It’s time to take vice presidential hopefuls as seriously as we take the presidential candidates themselves. After all, the distance between the two has never been narrower.
Since its inception, the position of the vice president has always an insurance policy on the life of the president. Though VPs often act as heads of state and hold the title of President of the Senate, their true role is to ensure governmental continuity and national strength in case a president dies, resigns, or is otherwise incapacitated. Despite this grave responsibility, vice presidents have often been ignored or relegated within their own administrations. As such, many vice presidents have expressed disdain for their own office, considering it a “second-class role.” Thomas Marshall, vice president from 1913 to 1921, expressed his opinions in this way: “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.”
Voters tend to share this sentiment. Just a month before election 2016, polls found over 40% of Americans could not recall the names of either Mike Pence or Tim Kaine, and this lack of interest was on display at the vice presidential debate, which boasted half as many viewers as the first presidential debate the week before. This indifference to what is seen as the “undercard debate” is nothing new; low viewership for prospective veeps dates back to the very first vice presidential contest in 1976. Provided the debates are allowed to move forward given recent coronavirus outbreaks, there is no reason to doubt these same trends will continue in 2020.
Even if the vice presidential debates do proceed as originally planned, there is little evidence they will sway the opinions of the few undecided voters who do tune in. The reason is simple: for the majority of American voters, the vice presidential candidates just do not factor into their decision-making process. This year of all years, however, perhaps they should. Given the health crisis of the current moment, the vice presidential pick could be just as important as the presidential candidate himself. If the debates occur, viewers should take advantage of the opportunity to evaluate Senator Harris and Vice President Pence just as thoroughly as they would Biden or Trump themselves. Because there is a real chance, no matter what the result of the election, that the former could assume the position of the latter over the next four years of leadership.
Let’s catastrophize for a moment. Donald Trump’s confirmed Covid-19 case presents the most present health risk to any president since Reagan’s shooting in 1981. Already, the president has experienced symptoms of the deadly virus and been transferred to Walter Reed military hospital for specialized treatment. Though much is currently unknown about the severity of his condition or how long it will take him to recover, we do know this: the 25th amendment allows the vice president to replace a sitting president if he is determined unfit to lead. Whether temporarily or in a more permanent capacity, it’s safe to say Mike Pence will assume at least some presidential responsibilities until such time as President Trump recovers. The problem with this scenario, however, is the lack of a foreseeable timeframe. It must be remembered that Trump, though in fairly good health before contracting Covid-19, belongs in the highest category of risk for the virus given both his age and clinical obesity. In the event of a protracted battle with coronavirus, the question must be posed: at what point does the presidential understudy become the de facto president? Depending on the results of the election and the progression of Trump’s illness, Pence’s leadership could feasibly continue not just until the inauguration, but over the next 4 years. In such a scenario, a vote for a Trump reelection would essentially mean a vote for a Pence first term.
Trump is, of course, not the only 2020 candidate to experience lingering questions about his health. Throughout his campaign, Biden has been forced to constantly address concerns of his faltering cognitive ability, rumors of which have spawned from many false or misleading reports online. Despite several positive medical evaluations, legitimate health questions do remain for the 77-year-old candidate, who if elected would be the first president to turn 80 years old during his term. Potentially, voters should expect to see a President Biden relying more and more on VP Harris as his term progresses, especially given Biden’s signals that he will not seek reelection. This alone should give voters reason to further examine Harris’ candidacy, as she could be 4 years and a heartbeat away from becoming the nation’s first female president.
Regardless of the election’s results, the chances of presidential turnover during this upcoming term have never seemed more substantial. Despite the words of Thomas Marshall, the vice presidential candidates are unlikely to disappear when they exit the debate stage this Wednesday night. Ultimately, the potential for unforeseen catastrophe, brought too close for comfort by the Trump administration’s recent outbreak, should motivate all responsible American voters to look more closely at the “second class” candidates they may unwittingly be electing into the highest office in the world.
