# Which VP's would have made good Presidents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 30, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373 "2007-11-30T22:07:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/1 "2007-11-30T22:07:17Z")
Out of those vice-presidents who didn’t get to the Oval Office, I mean. Burr? Van Buren? Garner? Hell, Quayle? Yeah, easy joke, but really, how would he have done? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/2 "2007-11-30T22:19:21Z")
Al Gore comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/3 "2007-11-30T22:20:19Z")
VPs who ran for the office, or just overall? I’m gonna go with the easy one and say Gore - at least, that’s what my vote said. Also, this would’ve been a great question to ask twice (once after Kennedy’s election, once after resignation) to someone who voted Nixon in 1960. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/4 "2007-11-30T22:32:07Z")
Henry Wilson, Grant’s second vice president, was a very honest man in a very corrupt era. He was also a long-time opponent of slavery and supporter of African American civil rights. Charles Gates Dawes (Coolidge) won a Nobel Prize and also wrote a song that became a Number One hit after he died, so he must have had something on the ball. Sure, Gore won the prize, but can he write the song? [QUOTE=Love Rhombus] Out of those vice-presidents who didn’t get to the Oval Office, I mean. Burr? Van Buren? Garner? Hell, Quayle? Yeah, easy joke, but really, how would he have done? [/QUOTE] Van Buren got there! ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/5 "2007-11-30T23:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] Henry Wilson, Grant’s second vice president, was a very honest man in a very corrupt era. He was also a long-time opponent of slavery and supporter of African American civil rights. Charles Gates Dawes (Coolidge) won a Nobel Prize and also wrote a song that became a Number One hit after he died, so he must have had something on the ball. Sure, Gore won the prize, but can he write the song? Van Buren got there! [/QUOTE] Aw hell, you’re right. Fine, slip in [Levi P. Morton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LeviMor.jpg), because of his awesome mustache. And I mean VP’s who actually made it to the White HOuse as Veep. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/6 "2007-11-30T23:36:20Z")
There’s not a person alive who would have the temerity to denounce the eminently capable Spiro Agnew’s credentials for President. In fact, he may well be the best VP we’ve ever had. ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/7 "2007-11-30T23:42:16Z")
Dan Quayle ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/8 "2007-12-01T00:11:19Z")
[QUOTE=Dumbguy] Dan Quayle [/QUOTE] Another perfect match of screen name and post. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/9 "2007-12-01T00:16:50Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] Van Buren got there! [/QUOTE] More’s the pity. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/10 "2007-12-01T00:24:10Z")
John Nance Garner, FDR’s first vice president, always struck me as an interesting man, despite him being from Texas… in the House for close to three decades, including a stint as Speaker. Ran against FDR in the primaries in 1940, of course didn’t stand a chance. Plus two years after beating Mariette Rheiner in the primaries for county judge, he married her. Imagine something like that happening today? ---
**Author:** ![Dumbguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dumbguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumbguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/11 "2007-12-01T00:30:10Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Another perfect match of screen name and post. [/QUOTE] Please don’t explain the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/12 "2007-12-01T00:59:15Z")
Here’s the complete lists, with those sworn in as President at some point bolded: 1. \*\* John Adams\*\*, 1789-97 2. **Thomas Jefferson** , 1797-1801 3. Aaron Burr, 1801-05 4. George Clinton, 1805-12 5. Elbridge Gerry, 1813-14 6. Daniel D. Tompkins, 1817-25 7. John C. Calhoun, 1825-32 8. **Martin Van Buren** , 1833-37 9. Richard M. Johnson, 1837-41 10. **John Tyler** , 1841 11. George Dallas, 1845-49 12. **Millard Fillmore** , 1849-50 13. William Rufus King, 1853 14. John C. Breckenridge, 1857-61 15. Hannibal Hamlin, 1861-65 16. **Andrew Johnson** , 1865 17. Schuyler Colfax, 1869-73 18. Henry Wilson, 1873-75 19. William A. Wheeler, 1877-81 20. **Chaster A. Arthur** , 1881 21. Thomas Hendricks, 1885 22. Levi P. Morton, 1889-93 23. Adlai E. Stevenson (I), 1893-97 24. Garret Hobart, 1897-99 25. **Theodore Roosevelt** , 1901 26. Charles W. Fairbanks, 1905-09 27. James S. Sherman, 1909-12 28. Thomas R. Marshall, 1913-21 29. **Calvin Coolidge** , 1921-23 30. Charles G. Dawes, 1925-29 31. Charles Curtis, 1929-33 32. John Nance Garner, 1933-41 33. Henry A. Wallace, 1941-45 34. **Harry S. Truman** , 1945 35. Alben W. Barkley, 1949-53 36. **Richard M. Nixon** , 1953-61 37. **Lyndon B. Johnson.** , 1961-63 38. Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr. 1965-69 39. Spiro T. Agnew, 1969-73 40. **Gerald R. Ford, Jr.** , 1973-74 (Appt) 41. Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1974-77 (Appt) 42. Walter F. Mondale, 1977-81 43. **George H. W. Bush** , 1981-89 44. J. Danforth Quayle, 1989-93 45. Albert A. Gore, Jr., 1999-2001 46. Richard B. Cheney, 2001-present There are men on this list I know almost nothing about. Of the ones I do, I think Rufus King, Thomas Marshall, Cactus Jack Garner, Nelson Rockefeller, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney would have definitely made good effective presidents who could have done the job and led he counry. I don’t necessarily agree with the political stance of several of them; I’m assessing the man himself, his leadership skills and competence. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/13 "2007-12-01T01:19:33Z")
In no particular order… Nelson Rockefeller, appointed VP by Gerald Ford. Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson’s VP. How good a President he would have been is debatable, but he almost certainly would have been better than the president he lost to – Richard Nixon. [John C. Calhoun](http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_John_Calhoun.htm) was a great legislator at a time when Congress was full of greats, but he was certainly controversial and I have no idea whether he would have been an effective president. And Al Gore. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/14 "2007-12-01T01:29:02Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] There’s not a person alive who would have the temerity to denounce the eminently capable Spiro Agnew’s credentials for President. In fact, he may well be the best VP we’ve ever had. [/QUOTE] That is not even funny. I’ll say Nelson Rockefeller and that Al Gore guy would have been a significant improvement over the current President. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/15 "2007-12-01T01:30:40Z")
\*Eleanor Roosevelt \* Oh wait! She wasn’t the vice president. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/16 "2007-12-01T01:44:20Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] That is not even funny. [/QUOTE] Oh, come on. It was at least a little funny. You smirked. Admit it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/17 "2007-12-01T01:58:28Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] There’s not a person alive who would have the temerity to denounce the eminently capable Spiro Agnew’s credentials for President. In fact, he may well be the best VP we’ve ever had. [/QUOTE] Whoosh, yes? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/18 "2007-12-01T02:00:54Z")
[Henry Wallace,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339317) maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/19 "2007-12-01T02:13:35Z")
[QUOTE=Blalron] Al Gore comes to mind. [/QUOTE] I am not totally convinced that losing the race didn’t have a lot to do with making Al Gore the man he is today. I voted for Nader in 2000, and frankly, knowing only what I did then, I’d do the same again. Gore has impressed me immensely in the last three or four years, and I’d vote for him in a split-second today. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373/20 "2007-12-01T02:25:18Z")
I’ll add that there’s really no way to tell. Truman didn’t impress anyone as VP; he was a party hack who grew into the job when he had to. On the other hand, Andrew Johnson had the potential to be a great president, but no. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-vps-would-have-made-good-presidents/428373.md?page=2)