The Vice President has no obligation to be loyal or to even serve the wishes of the President once elected. The President can’t fire the Vice President, other than not naming him the running mate if they run fo reelection. The Vice President only has 2 duties, preside over the Senate and take over the Presidency if needed. He could even switch parties in the middle of the term if he wanted.
Why then is the President referred to as his boss? He’s not his boss. He’s a backup quarterack who sometimes has to babysit the Senate.
There’s nothing to prevent a Vice President from acting “disloyal” to the President. The President’s only recourse would be to limit the VP to only his Constitutional duties, and not assign him any other responsibilities (as Presidents traditionally have to VPs).
A situation similar to what you discuss happened a few years ago in New York. Betsy McCaughey Ross was Lieutenant Governor for Governor Pataki’s first term. During her term, she disagreed publicly with the Governor on some major issues and found herself increasingly isolated. The Governor cut her staff, and reassigned her to a small office in an out of the way corner of the Capitol. Eventually, she switched to the Democratic party. Pataki dropped her as his running mate for his second term.
I would say that the President is referred to the VP’s boss because if he wants to have any power or influence (beyond his minimal Constitutional duties), he must follow the President’s lead.
On the other, in the upcoming administration, perhaps it would be more appropriate to refer to the Vice President-elect as “boss”.
Like Bildo said, the President is NOT the VPs boss. But many VPs do take on some administrative jobs. Al Gore, for instance, prides himself as having run NASA. But since all this power must be delegated to the VP by the President (since it’s really the President’s power) you had better be good.
There have been many interpretations of what the VP should do or could do. (I don’t have my copy of “Bland Ambition” here, so I can’t recall all the names.)
[ul]
[li]One VP said that since he presided over the Senate that he was a member of the Legislative Branch instead of the Executive Branch, and therefore should have no duties concerning the latter.[/li][li]Hannibal Hamlin - pride and joy of Bangor, ME, and Lincoln’s first VP - went home to Maine during his term and either farmed or served as a private in the Maine Coast Guard.[/li][li]Another VP, when nominated, said he wouldn’t be a good candidate, since he didn’t know how to play golf. (This may have been Thomas Marshall, Woodrow Wilson’s VP.)[/li][li]Geraldine Ferraro’s husband, John, had the mistaken notion that he would have any say in the Mondale Administration (had Mondale/Ferraro won). He said he would insist on attending Cabinet meetings. Hell, VP’s aren’t regularly invited to attend those, much less their spouses.[/li][li]My view of VP Qualye’s duties in the Bush Administration was to be an idiot. That way, any assassins would have second thoughs about offing Bush.[/li][/ul]
If the guy at the Deli calls me “boss,” I don’t think the Republic will suffer if the Veep calls POTUS by that term, either.
“Boss” can have any number of connotations. Since Bush selected Cheney for the post, and because politically Cheny will take his marching orders from Bush, I don’t think it inappropriate for Cheney to think of Bush as the boss.
that’s true but I was thinking in terms of a boss being someone you answered to and took orders from. The president could never say to the veep “Because I’m your boss that’s why”.
