Republicans have been asking why Vice President Harris hasn’t done anything for four years, and they might have a point, except— and this is important—THE CONSTITUTION RENDERS HER PRETTY MUCH POWERLESS! That’s right: It’s the least fleshed out job in American Politics.
So….Alright, let’s talk about the Vice Presidency then—a job that’s been around for over 200 years and still has about as much meaning as a participation trophy. You ever think about that? How the hell is it possible that a role that’s just a heartbeat away from the most powerful job on the planet is basically just a glorified standby passenger on Air Force One? It’s like being in the starting lineup for the Super Bowl, but the coach just tells you to stand by the Gatorade cooler unless the quarterback drops dead. What a joke.
Now, let’s get into the history of this nonsense. The first Vice President, John Adams, was already annoyed by the lack of power, and this was when they were still writing the damn job description! He called it “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.” That’s right, the first dude in the role basically looked at his new job and went, “What the hell am I supposed to do here?” It’s like showing up for your first day at a new job and realizing all they’ve given you is a swivel chair and a window that doesn’t open.
Since then, the job’s been a mix of babysitting and waiting around like a backup singer who only gets the mic if the lead singer chokes on a harmonica. You got these guys throughout history who are frustrated, stuck in a position with all this potential for power but no actual power. It’s like telling someone, “Hey, you’re the Vice President. You’re basically the top understudy in the Broadway show that is America, but don’t expect to actually perform—unless, of course, someone trips over the American Dream and breaks their neck.”
And what do they actually do? They “preside over the Senate,” which is a fancy way of saying they sit around like a hall monitor with no real authority. The Vice President’s job is to break ties in the Senate. Oh, how thrilling! You sit through hours of debates, all these old men droning on about God-knows-what, and then you get to raise your hand like it’s some kind of college debate club. Where’s the actual leadership in that? It’s ceremonial, it’s outdated, and it’s frankly insulting to the person in that role—and to us for pretending it’s anything else.
Here’s an idea: let’s give the Vice President some teeth, alright? Let’s make this position actually worth something. Imagine if the Vice President truly presided over the Senate—not just as a tie-breaker, but as the leader. Think about it! The Speaker of the House gets to throw their weight around, why not the Veep? You give the Vice President the power to negotiate deals, to work directly with the White House and the House of Representatives, and to make sure that the bills coming out of the Senate don’t look like something a toddler scribbled on the back of a napkin.
They could be the bridge between Congress and the White House, making deals, smoothing out the wrinkles in legislation, and—get this—even challenging the President when necessary. Yeah, that’s right. The Vice President could have the balls to stand up to the President if the situation called for it. You know, actually be a check and balance instead of a professional ribbon-cutter and funeral-goer.
Picture this: the Vice President walks into the Senate, and everyone actually listens because they have real influence. They work with both sides of the aisle, hammering out compromises, and actually getting stuff done. No more of this “wait until the President dies” nonsense. They’d be in the mix, shaping the direction of the country every damn day. It’s like finally letting the backup quarterback call some plays, rather than just sitting on the bench hoping the starter blows out a knee.
In a world where we’re always complaining about gridlock and do-nothing politicians, why not take this role that’s been around forever and actually use it? The Vice President could be the dealmaker, the one who steps in when everyone else is too busy yelling at each other to remember that they’re supposed to be running a country.
So yeah, let’s stop pretending that the Vice Presidency is some kind of sacred institution that can’t be touched. It’s time to give it some actual power, make it a real position of leadership, and not just a political participation award. Because let’s be honest, if your job description hasn’t changed in over 200 years, you’re either doing something really right—or really, really wrong. And in this case, it’s the latter.
