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Adams, who knew world political history as few men before or since his time, said that the vice' presidency was "the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived." Jefferson found the post "tranquil and unoffending," assuring him of "philosophical evenings in winter" and "rural days in summer." When Henry Clay, defeated for the presidency, sourgraped, "I'd rather be right than President," John C. Calhoun, just elected Vice President, said: "Well, I guess it's all right to be half right—and Vice President." But it wasn't all right. Calhoun quit in disgust and got elected to the Senate. Teddy Roosevelt referred to his election to the vice presidency as "taking the veil." Later, when he had succeeded President McKinley, Teddy was annoyed by the tinkling of the enormous "Jefferson chandelier" in his office, and ordered it removed. "Take it to the office of the Vice President," he said. "He doesn't have anything to do. It will keep him awake." The trouble is that the Constitution does not give the Vice President much work to do. His sole, specific mission is to preside over the Senate. Since the jealous Senate has always made it plain that "preside" was to be interpreted in the narrowest possible sense, anybody who can stay awake can do that job.-*
If the Vice President is a strong character or has a political following independent of the President's, he can easily get into trouble. (Calhoun and Henry Wallace are two who got too big for their vice-presidential boots.) Most Vice Presidents, great and small, have accepted the apparently inevitable and used the office as a stepping stone to oblivion. They have resigned themselves to a part in which the sole importance is being around if the President dies or is incapacitated.
A Mixed Bag. A random sample of Vice Presidents might include:
¶ Aaron Burr (1801-05), who put the accent on the vice. Taking advantage of a gimmick (since corrected) in the Constitution, Burr, running for Vice President with Jefferson (who was running for President), was almost able to get the top job for himself. While he was Vice President, Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, was indicted for murder, skipped to Georgia, returned to preside over the impeachment trial of Justice Samuel Chase, made a moving farewell address to the Senate and slammed the door when he walked out.
He drifted to New Orleans, got involved in a plot to take over part of the western Territories, was tried for treason, acquitted, and exiled himself to London, Sweden, Germany and France, where he lived by his wits and off his women.