7 Vice Presidents: The Great "What-If" Presidencies

This blog article is a distant cousin to my recent "Unelectable Past Presidents" blog articles (part 1, part 2, and part 3).

Eight out of forty-seven vice presidents (or 17%) reached immortality as "accidental presidents" either through death or through resignation of the sitting president. Many of them took an independent course from the running mate they replaced leading to nation-strengthening or nation-weakening decisions.

Out of the vice presidents that have ascended to the highest office, two became great presidents (Teddy Roosevelt and Truman), two were about average (Arthur and Ford), one was a wild card (Lyndon Johnson), and four have been among the worst presidents (Tyler, Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Coolidge).

What other vice presidents-turned-presidents could have altered American history as much as a Roosevelt, Truman, Fillmore or LBJ?

I had many vice presidents worthy of discussion, but I thought these seven inspired the most interesting "what-if" scenarios. As a matter of propriety, I will not include the presidencies of any living presidents. It will be up to the reader to ponder a Quayle or Gore presidency.

Enjoy the slideshow.

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Aaron Burr (VP for Thomas Jefferson)

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He killed Alexander Hamilton and was later accused of treason. Despite this, he was roundly considered kind, generous, and a firm believer in equality for women. Although, it is true he could be self-serving and prideful. In my alternate scenario, Jefferson succumbs to illness in 1803. Alexander Hamilton is not killed at age 49; therefore, the Federalist Party maintains a strong influence well into the 19th century. Without Jefferson's leadership, the Democratic-Republican Party is significantly weakened. It is interesting to ponder how our country would have developed if Burr had not shot the highly influential Mr. Hamilton.

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He killed Alexander Hamilton and was later accused of treason. Despite this, he was roundly considered kind, generous, and a firm believer in equality for women. Although, it is true he could be self-serving and prideful. In my alternate scenario, Jefferson succumbs to illness in 1803. Alexander Hamilton is not killed at age 49; therefore, the Federalist Party maintains a strong influence well into the 19th century. Without Jefferson's leadership, the Democratic-Republican Party is significantly weakened. It is interesting to ponder how our country would have developed if Burr had not shot the highly influential Mr. Hamilton.

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Comments

[mjmcpa1]

08:04 PM on 07/26/2011

How can you leave off Spiro Agnew - Nixon's Vice-president who would have sold his power to the highest bidder? I shudder to think what would have happened if Nixon got wacked like JFK did.

[Jonathan Hobratsch]

08:39 PM on 07/27/2011

I agree. That would be another interesting scenario.

[pkafin]

01:05 AM on 07/22/2011

Some monitor at this site has no sense of humour. I posted a musing about how excellent it would be if the 4th Vice President (Jefferson's first VP) named, quite actually, "George Clinton", had become President. It was, IMHO both amusing and harmless when considering many of his quotes. Quotes such as "If you don't like the effect, don't produce the cause". And "The President's talking about a change, but we ain't got sense enough to come in out the rain."

And, for reasons that escape me entirely, it was found unfit to post. Evening monitors, are you also totally without a funky bone in your body?

[pkafin]

01:19 AM on 07/22/2011

Now we're talking:

"Just because you win the fight don't make you right"

"I believe in G-d, but I know that law and order must prevail. If and when the law of man is not just equalr or fair then the laws of nature will come and do her thang. She does not think she just rectifies. She comes and balances the books. Y'all see my point? Y'all see my point!"

"Everybody's got a little light under the sun."

"You say you don't like what your country's about. Ain't you deep, in your semi-first class seat?
You picket this and protest that. And eat yourself fat. Ain't you deep in your semi first class seat?"

[gizdal]

05:01 PM on 07/21/2011

picture this one- McCain wins against Obama, then dies in office, leaving Palin in the White House.
what a scenario! can you imagine it?

the way things are going, this may still happen in the so-called Real World.

[Mrtjbv]

02:05 PM on 07/21/2011

Good series! Do another--

[Elbrando]

01:00 PM on 07/21/2011

What about Al Gore?

If Al Gore had become president threats by Al Queda would have been taken seriously and there is a real possiblity 9/11 doesn't happen. There would be no Iraq war, no war in Afghanistan. The budget deficit would be much smaller and our dependence on foriegn oil much reduced.

[Jonathan Hobratsch]

03:24 AM on 07/24/2011

Very good point. However, as stated in the article I didn't cover the presidenci­es of living ex-presidents. I don't like to ponder the demise of anyone living even if I disagree with them.

[pkafin]

12:12 PM on 07/21/2011

" As a matter of propriety, I will not include the presidencies of any living presidents." That's such a cop out.

[factotumllc]

12:01 PM on 07/21/2011

Thinking of the alternatives makes me feel as though I'm creating a parallel universe. What would our country be like now if any one of those possible scenarios had occurred?

[wheresthepositivity]

11:05 AM on 07/21/2011

The pertinent question in my mind is as follows:

If John Quincy Adams was a Founding Father according to Bachmanian logic, would this guy have qualified too? He looks like he could have thrown down in Plymouth, Mass. Well, according to this, he definitely wouldn't have worked tirelessly to end slavery.

Interesting character nonetheless.

[wheresthepositivity]

04:08 PM on 07/21/2011

Sorry, I was referring to John C Calhoun. Shouldn't post when sleep-deprived.

[HardyMacia]

10:50 AM on 07/21/2011

Read "Recarving Rushmore" by Ivan Eland. Using his ranking Tyler (#1) and Coolidge(#10) were among the very best presidents we've had. Truman was one of the absolute worst (#39 out of 40). The rest were either average or poor.

So it all depends on how you want to judge presidents. If you like Truman's military industrial complex, starting of the Korean War without a declaration from Congress, threats to draft striking workers, seizures of private industries...then he's your guy

[Jonathan Hobratsch]

03:32 AM on 07/24/2011

John Tyler #1! His whole cabinet resigned on him. Additionally, the entire congress pretty much disliked him. Many of his vetoes were overridden. He did have some good traits, though. Such as courage and he was sometimes stubborn when it counted. He was just too divisive for office. Perhaps, he was the wrong man at the wrong time. He's generally placed in the end of the 20s to mid-30s on rankings. Coolidge at #10? I suppose one could elect anyone if oversleeping was the criteria for office. I don't like Truman as much as most scholars, so I can see that point more readily, but I wouldn't place him as one of the worst.

[Ichigo Kurosaki]

10:47 AM on 07/21/2011

What about GHW Bush? If Reagan had died from his wounds...