# As a highly successful Senator or governor, would you accept the VP slot for an election run? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 28, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-highly-successful-senator-or-governor-would-you-accept-the-vp-slot-for-an-election-run/761086 "2016-07-28T04:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-highly-successful-senator-or-governor-would-you-accept-the-vp-slot-for-an-election-run/761086/21 "2016-07-30T02:48:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > …You also get the perks of the vice presidency such as flying on Air Force One with POTUS… I missed this before. POTUS and VPOTUS never fly together so that they won’t both be lost if the plane crashes or is shot down. VPOTUS usually flies on smaller aircraft, such as Boeing C-32s: [Air Force Two - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Two) > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Senator is a job for life… Think you so? > **[2006 United States Senate elections](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2006)** > > Bill Frist > Republican > Harry Reid > Democratic > The 2006 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, 2006, with all 33 Class 1 Senate seats being contested. The term of office for those elected in 2006 ran from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013. Before the election cycle, the Republican Party controlled 55 of the 100 Senate seats. > **[2008 United States Senate election in Alaska](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Alaska,_2008)** > > Ted Stevens > Republican > Mark Begich > Democratic > The 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and former President pro tempore Ted Stevens ran for re-election for an eighth term (a seventh full term) in the United States Senate. It was one of the ten Senate races that U.S. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, predicted as being most competitive. The primaries were held on ... > **[2012 United States Senate election in Indiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Indiana,_2012)** > > Richard Lugar > Republican > Joe Donnelly > Democratic ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-highly-successful-senator-or-governor-would-you-accept-the-vp-slot-for-an-election-run/761086/22 "2016-07-30T05:59:52Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > … > 2. A stepping stone to the top job in the world, essentially. This is, I believe, the reason most of them accept the position. Kaine, Gore, Quayle GHWB, Mondale, Humphrey et al. All saw it as an audition for running for POTUS at some point in the future. Note that of the five in this list who became VEEP, only one became Prez. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > It’s a high-profile political gig that has a decent chance of eventually making me President myself. By death or resignation, yes, but not by election. Of the 19 presidents since 1901, only two VEEPs (Nixon and Bush I) won the presidency in an election, and only Bush I did it while he was actually President. Five (TR, Coolidge, Truman, LBJ and Ford) inherited the office. So yes, VEEPS do become President, but in a highly unpredictable fashion, and don’t have a good record of winning it on their own. It’s been 28 years since a VEEP became President and notably, he followed an extremely popular President. That three-term run has only happened twice (Van Buren being the other). Governor is more of a stepping stone to being elected President. Of the 19 presidents since 1901, 6 were either sitting or former governors (Wilson, FDR, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush II). (I’m not counting Coolidge, since he was VEEP after being a governor; but being a governor helped get him the VEEP spot.) Over the past century, more Senators (3) have won the presidential election than VEEPS (2): Harding, JFK, and Obama. (Not counting Truman or LBJ, since they were VEEPS after being Senators.) Former Cabinet members have had just as good a record at getting elected President as VEEPS: 2 each (Taft and Hoover, v Nixon and Bush). And of course one military man: Eisenhower. So overall, I’m not convinced that being VEEP is more of a stepping stone to being elected president than being a successful governor or senator. Inheriting the office, yes, but not winning it on one’s own. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-highly-successful-senator-or-governor-would-you-accept-the-vp-slot-for-an-election-run/761086.md?page=1)