This entry was posted Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 12:08 pm and is filed under 2008 Election.
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8 Responses to “Bush is No Truman, Sarah Palin is No Geraldine Ferraro”
SO everybody knows she asked that question - does anyone know what the VP does on a daily basis? (Besides Cheney who’s busy ruling the world from “an undisclosed location” on a daily basis.)
“As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.”
Her evident distaste for the office would be part of her appeal: It would show McCain is running an anti-Washington, reformist campaign.
I hope you’re not one of those who think that any job they don’t understand must be easy to do. Palin sounds like one.
Did she know what the Vice President does? No. Was she even curious about it, or casually dismissive? She seemed to think that the VP slot would only be worth taking if she could use the position on behalf of Alaska!
Probably doesn’t matter, because she won’t get the job anyway.
JD - the Constitution provides no job description for the VP - he/she is literally supposed to wait around in case the President dies. Al Gore ran the RIGO (ReInventing GOvernment) initiative (In All Too Human, George Stephenopolous portrayed Gore and Clinton as having very much a partnership as leaders with Gore providing a sounding board and relatively unbiased voice on many issues); Cheney of course has played a huge role in setting policy - a role far beyond traditional conceptions of the VP’s job. In contrast, Harry S Truman was completely out of the loop in decision making with regard to FDR and was shocked upon becoming president at discovering many details of the war that had been kept classified.
VP’s are involved in all the major decisions (or at least should be) in terms of keeping them apprised and acting as the President’s surrogate in many circumstances. I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who once said, referring to a chandelier whose crystals kept tinkling, “Take is the Vice President’s office, maybe it will keep him awake.”
I tend forget about the President of the Senate role for some reason. It’s rarely more than a ceremonial role (in fact only when the Senate was 50/50 did it matter).
Glenden Brown
August 29th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Palin, one month ago: “What is it exactly that the VP does every day?”
August 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
SO everybody knows she asked that question - does anyone know what the VP does on a daily basis? (Besides Cheney who’s busy ruling the world from “an undisclosed location” on a daily basis.)
August 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
The entire quote from Richard’s link:
August 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Richard? Do you know what the VP does every day?
Or are you just casting stones?
(Oh - try not to just make this one up - do some quick research).
August 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
jd–
I hope you’re not one of those who think that any job they don’t understand must be easy to do. Palin sounds like one.
Did she know what the Vice President does? No. Was she even curious about it, or casually dismissive? She seemed to think that the VP slot would only be worth taking if she could use the position on behalf of Alaska!
Probably doesn’t matter, because she won’t get the job anyway.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
JD - the Constitution provides no job description for the VP - he/she is literally supposed to wait around in case the President dies. Al Gore ran the RIGO (ReInventing GOvernment) initiative (In All Too Human, George Stephenopolous portrayed Gore and Clinton as having very much a partnership as leaders with Gore providing a sounding board and relatively unbiased voice on many issues); Cheney of course has played a huge role in setting policy - a role far beyond traditional conceptions of the VP’s job. In contrast, Harry S Truman was completely out of the loop in decision making with regard to FDR and was shocked upon becoming president at discovering many details of the war that had been kept classified.
VP’s are involved in all the major decisions (or at least should be) in terms of keeping them apprised and acting as the President’s surrogate in many circumstances. I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who once said, referring to a chandelier whose crystals kept tinkling, “Take is the Vice President’s office, maybe it will keep him awake.”
August 29th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Thank you, Glendon. Exactly. [though the VP is President of the Senate (Article 1, Sec. 3)]
So, Richard? According to the Constitution, what is it that the VP does every day? You’re not avoiding the question, are you?
Richard?
August 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I tend forget about the President of the Senate role for some reason. It’s rarely more than a ceremonial role (in fact only when the Senate was 50/50 did it matter).