Vice Presidency

Archive Report

Politics and the Vice Presidency

When calvin coolidge won the Republican vice-presidential nomination in 1920, he received a telegram from the incumbent Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall. “Please accept my sincere sympathy.” it read. Marshall's wry message could have been written by almost any of the 39 men who have been Vice President of the United States. Virtually all of them have found the office to be frustrating, devoid of real authority and, on occasion, demeaning.

Vice President Spiro T. Agnew appears to be an exception to the rule. By speaking out boldly on controversial issues, Agnew has established his own reputation in much the way Richard M. Nixon achieved nationwide prominence as Vice President in the Eisenhower administration. Thus, the comment of Sen. Eugene J. ...

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