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Elbridge Gerry was never a speaker with "thunder in his voice," per one contemporary description, and he was hard to pin down in terms of his politics, yet that may have made him persuasive. A compromiser and a critic, a pro-government and pro-liberty who hated both mobs and dictatorship.  His experience may have been 

Large in his time, mostly passed over in history, George Clinton's ascention to the vice presidency would not have surprised contemporaries. If anything, he was a contender for the top office. He was a giant in New York State, and in the democratic-republican movement in the nation.  But his stand against The Constitution, his opposition to the new state of Vermont, and a parade of well-spoken competitors in ambition limited him. Thus he rose to VP, an office that he warned against creating.  Clinton's warnings about the system of American government, likely written under an alias (Cato) may have earned him few friends among historians or in his time, but we read some of them as they could contain wisdom. 

Those that know the full story of Chester Arthur know he became President and instituted controls on replacing workers in the civil service.  That's largely because a tragic shooting made him President and he, in a statesman-like way, implemented his sucessor's programs. But as Vice President, Arthur was all Stalwart. The Stalwarts, Half-Breeds and Independents fought each other as much as today's Republicans and Demcorats. He was opposed to Half-Breed Garfield's appointments and spent his vice-presidency fighting his own President and supporting his President's political enemy. But once Garfield was shot, VP Arthur signaled a change in his ways. By deliberately not coming to Washington. We tell the story.

A one-term Vice President known for being liberal on issues and associated with Hubert Humphrey, Carter's Vice President Walter Mondale changed the office more than anyone else. He moved it from the Senate to the White House, where it has been since. He also ran for President twice, and ended up with a 49-state blowout.  Yet, he never doubted what he did was right.

Nelson Rockefeller was already a household name and a figure of some stature when Gerald Ford asked Congress to approve him as Vice President. True to form, he attempted to make the Vice Presidency a big office. 

That's all TR had as Vice President, technically.  His official duties were just four days in March.  From there he spoke, wrote letters and travelled and to at least one person, complained about the restrictions of the Vice Presidency. Until the change.  In this episode we'll actually get a bit into those four days in March 1901 and what happened. They did cover a bit of American history.  And we will look at his ride to become President.

Defender of his view of Southern rights, Vice President John Calhoun was the only VP to serve under Two Presidents. Both of those Presidents would come to dislike him strongly, as would (we think it's fair to say) most people today. That's because he undermined both Presidents he served under, and because Calhoun's defense of slavery went beyond what a majority of Southern Congressmen and Senators in his time would support. And even in context, it deserves the anger it generates today.  If there's any silver linings for (some) modern ears, we discuss his position on tariffs (against them) and his position against federal power in local areas which could get a nod from those that hate him otherwise.  He also opposed the Mexican War for the same reasons as Lincoln. It was in his view a war started by a President. And in his mind at least he was always pro-Union - though contemporary political opponents contested this. We won't do much celebrating of this Vice President, but to know history we have to talk about him.

Adlai Ewing Stevenson, Vice President under Grover Cleveland in his second term, has been eclipsed in history by his famous grandson.  This is for reasons of time and memory and TV pictures but not for accomplishment.  For the original Adlai had quite the career, and made it to national office as Congressman, Postmaster and then Vice President.  He was also a story teller and a master compromiser that could bridge the gap between conservatism and populism to help win an election.  We share some of Adlai's stories from his colorful memoirs, and discuss how he could have become President.

President Biden was Vice President first, and ran for President before that.  In this episode, we discuss his first doomed run for President, and his improbable win over a Republican Senator during a Republican landslide election.  

We discuss Charles Fairbanks, Teddy's Roosevelt's Vice President from 1905 to 1909.  Not only did they not see eye to eye, but Roosevelt might have given his career a little shove.  Or maybe not. And how did a Senator from Indiana get his name on a town in Alaska that he never saw?   Chris Novembrino of Don't Worry About the Government podcast joins us to discuss all of this.  

The story of John C. Breckinridge, the only vice president to take up arms against the country he served.  A charismatic and skilled speaker, he knew all of the people he ran against in the 1860 election.  He took up the banner of a party associated with disunion, though his own views were far more complicated.  

Grover Cleveland's first vice president barely spoke with him, did not agree on politics and was in office for political reasons.  Hendricks was the bottom half of a ticket that lost the disputed election of 1876.  His position on the martyred ticket that lost after a congressional commission decided for Rutherford B. Hayes would earn him a spot in the hearts of partisan Democrats.  It would also earn him a second shot at the vice presidency, after an attempt to reach the the first office.  Then VP Hendricks would become a martyr again, dying in office.  In this episode we look at Hendricks, the fighter, the partisan, the martyr, his place on the currency and his limited relationship with the younger President he served under.     Music by Lee Rosevere and Chris Novembrino (theme song) Research conducted by Brian Stolk

A look at Schuyler Colfax, Grant's first Vice President lived a full life but died in obscurity and some shame.  We examine the smiling vice president, former Speaker and friend to Lincoln.

We look at the Vice President who - maybe - described the office as a "bucket of warm spit."  That's a bit more questionable than some accounts, even my own podcast, makes it out to be.  (He never said it directly to any reporter).    The sometimes supporter of the New Deal and sometimes not VP may have been its most powerful VP occupant up to his time.  And he's responsible in a little way for making two President's careers.  He's also the first Vice President to campaign against the President, though since the President wasn't officially campaigning at the time, perhaps it doesn't count.

Though Richard Nixon's presidency would get most of the attention of history, his time as Vice President was formative.  He was one of several veeps that helped modernize the office.  He was more active on foreign trips than his predecessors.  He even came under attack and was heralded for his calm nerves.  He acted as floor leader for the GOP on civil rights legislation, up agains Lyndon Johnson.  And in a late night session, there was that time he broke the gavel.