# Who should Paul Ryan appoint to the Vice Presidency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 5, 2017, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615 "2017-12-05T07:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/21 "2017-12-06T00:22:00Z")
John McCain would be a safe choice. Sort of a placeholder guy, widely respected, honorable in a way the current administration isn’t and can never be–and isn’t healthy enough to claim a spot on the 2020 ticket, so he buys time to develop a proper candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/22 "2017-12-06T01:16:17Z")
Ted Cruz just makes me want to puke. His holier-than-thou persona is sickening. McCain is too Ill to be of any use. I think Pence thinks he is squeaky clean, but it sounds like he may have known more about Flynn/Russia stuff than he wants to admit. Is everybody in the Whitehouse lying or fools? I don’t see how they didn’t sense or overhear this stuff. I mean, how stupid do you have to be? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/23 "2017-12-06T01:19:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I would not be surprised if Mueller has already sealed an indictment against Cheeto to be opened in the event of his firing. How many admissions of obstruction of justice does it take to go ahead with impeachment? ] An infinite number if Congress has no interest in it. Aren’t you paying attention? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/24 "2017-12-06T01:35:59Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > John McCain would be a safe choice. Sort of a placeholder guy, widely respected, honorable in a way the current administration isn’t and can never be–and isn’t healthy enough to claim a spot on the 2020 ticket, so he buys time to develop a proper candidate. He likely has less than a year to live. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/25 "2017-12-06T01:54:57Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > He likely has less than a year to live. I didn’t know that. Withdrawn. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/26 "2017-12-06T01:54:57Z")
It depends. We may well have another Ford Scenario, where Pence goes first, Trump wrangles a replacement through the Senate while under fire (and Republicans trying to preserve their narrow majority), then Trump resigns. In which case, the replacement will be interesting. Can you even imagine Donald Trump trying to pick someone he knows will replace him when he is forced to resign as President? I don’t think there are neural pathways in that head that can get wrapped around that idea. I just hope he doesn’t go Full President Clark on us. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/27 "2017-12-06T02:08:18Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Can you even imagine Donald Trump trying to pick someone he knows will replace him when he is forced to resign as President? We could end up with President Busey. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/28 "2017-12-06T02:33:33Z")
I’m reasonably certain (but not 100% in these odd times) that the Senate would not confirm Gary Busey as Vice President. Begins praying hard about scenario that hadn’t occurred to him… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/29 "2017-12-06T02:36:40Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I’m reasonably certain (but not 100% in these odd times) that the Senate would not confirm Gary Busey as Vice President. > > Begins praying hard about scenario that hadn’t occurred to him… Really? Try it this way: Gary Busey (R) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/30 "2017-12-06T03:06:08Z")
He would want someone older and with foreign experience to balance the ticket. Robert Gates? Mike Pompeo? Personally, I’d like it if he went for Richard Burr. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/31 "2017-12-06T03:30:35Z")
There was a story on NPR today that when the Access Hollywood tape was leaked, Priebus and the RNC got together and thought about asking Pence to take the top spot and making Condolezza Rice his VP pick (assuming Trump stepped aside in shame, which obviously didn’t happen). She would be an interesting choice. Ticks the woman and minority checkboxes, already vetted, quite smart, committed Republican, and since she quit the College Football Playoff Selection Committee I’m sure she has the free time (ok, ok, I’m sure she’s doing something productive with her time, but I’m still amused she ended up on that committee). The problem is I don’t think she wants the job - she’s a technocrat, not a campaigner. Romney I think would be a good choice - he seriously considered being SoS (although Trump didn’t seriously consider him) and word is he’s planning on running for Senate. The irony would not be lost on him but I don’t think he’d be a bad VP. Kasich would also be a good choice - executive experience, moderate Republican, etc. I don’t think Cruz or Rubio are going anywhere, they aren’t well liked by their own party. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/32 "2017-12-06T03:46:44Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > This is fantasy. Trump is going to be the president until 2020, and he might very well be president until 2024. Trump and Pence aren’t going anywhere; they’re going to end the investigation. I agree, except for the part about ending the investigation. They’ll let it go to its conclusion, Congress (i.e. Democrats and a few Republicans) will make a lot of noise, but nothing else will happen. The GOP will not impeach Trump unless he violates Republican dogma. Collusion with Russia doesn’t do that. Even violating Republican dogma won’t necessarily result in impeachment. Impeaching a member of your own party is very bad politics. More likely, he’d just lose in the 2020 primaries. > [@](#): > > And I’ll make another prediction on top of that one: Trump will try to put Hillary Clinton in jail, and I don’t think he’s quite finished with Barack Obama, either. I hope not, but I wouldn’t rule out either. Legally attacking your predecessor or opponent makes really bad precedent, but Trump doesn’t seem to care about that. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/33 "2017-12-06T06:07:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > At any rate, the politically astute thing to do would be to pick someone who had real potential to win the top spot when it opened up. That could be Marco Rubio or maybe Kasich, or again maybe Cruz. Agreed, but sometimes pols feel forced to opt for a placeholder. (Nobody will choose Cruz for VP, and maybe Ryan will have other reasons to count out the other strong candidates). This sort of thing happened in the USSR: Chernenko preceded Gorbachev, for example. Orrin Hatch might qualify under these circumstances: choosing number 4 in the order of succession has a certain intuition. # Still, I would expect Ryan to opt for the strongest potential primary challenger. After Trump signs the tax bill, his usefulness to the plutocracy will have dimmed. If his approvals dip another 8 points, plenty of reasons can be found for impeachment, not least of them having an insecure maniac with declining facilities in charge of the nuclear codes. If OTOH approvals hold steady at 38%… well we gotta respect the rule of the [del]Republican base[/del] people, right? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/34 "2017-12-06T06:36:05Z")
Oh, I think obstructing justice is most assuredly a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/35 "2017-12-06T06:47:23Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Speaker of the House Paul Ryan is currently 3rd in line for the Presidency. If he rises to the top, who should he appoint as VP? Bob Mueller. Hey, the guy’s a Republican and he’s all about protecting the Constitution. Plus, he’ll be unemployed and looking to keep busy. Who could _possibly_ object? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/36 "2017-12-06T08:06:41Z")
Since Ryan is by his own admission a fringe radical who never expected to be Speaker of the House (and seems not to have wanted the responsibility), I’m not sure what he would want out of the Presidency. If he wants to keep the post, he could decide to appoint a VP even more horrifying than he is as a deterrent to removal. But that seems like a way to make people needlessly angry. It seems simpler just to give VP to a rival he wants out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/37 "2017-12-06T11:16:44Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I agree, except for the part about ending the investigation. They’ll let it go to its conclusion, Congress (i.e. Democrats and a few Republicans) will make a lot of noise, but nothing else will happen. The GOP will not impeach Trump unless he violates Republican dogma. Collusion with Russia doesn’t do that. You could be right about this and I’ve thought it to be more of a possibility lately. Trump doesn’t actually have to end the investigation; he could just call it fake news and his base would surely it eat up. Disruption and distraction are strategies. Just the fact that there are now three separate investigations, two of which are highly partisan and one that is being heavily attacked by partisans, is enough to overwhelm the minds of many. The right wing has mastered the art of bullying on one hand and playing the victim card on the other. > [@dtilque](#): > > Even violating Republican dogma won’t necessarily result in impeachment. Impeaching a member of your own party is very bad politics. More likely, he’d just lose in the 2020 primaries. A lot will depend on the upcoming congressional mid-terms. The history suggests Republicans will lose House seats and the races earlier this year indicate that the Republicans could even lose their House majority, but if they do, it wouldn’t be by much. I’m not sure all Democrats would be on board with impeachment currently, and if I were an adviser to the president, I would be urging him not to end the investigation for this reason, regardless of what comes of it. On the other hand, Trump is obviously hiding something. He yelps like a dog that’s had it’s foot stepped on every time someone talks about taxes and his financial records. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/38 "2017-12-06T13:51:11Z")
The Democrats are the ones who need to keep the investigation going. They aren’t going to come up with anything, so they need to have something that looks like they will, so they can keep blowing smoke and fake news. The OP is wishful thinking, so Scott Walker. Executive experience, good common sense, the Dems have already spread all the lies they can about him so they would have to come up with something new. And Walker is used to dealing with progressive nutcases from dealing with Madison, and Trump won Wisconsin. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/39 "2017-12-06T13:53:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > They aren’t going to come up with anything Upon what do you base that confidence? > [@](#): > > Scott Walker. Executive experience, good common sense, the Dems have already spread all the lies they can about him so they would have to come up with something new. What lies are you referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615/40 "2017-12-06T14:50:23Z")
Do GOP donors think obstruction and collusion are crimes? For that is the whole of the law. I don’t think they do, and so the question is just an exercise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-should-paul-ryan-appoint-to-the-vice-presidency/803615.md?page=3)