The 5 Worst U.S. Vice President’s of All Time

“One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared.’” – Vice President Dan Quayle

The office of the Vice President has mostly just been ceremonial in nature, preside over the Senate and the Electoral College. At least since Mondale, the VP could chill up at the official VP crib, at 1 Observatory Circle, before that they had to stay in hotels or rent a house. Really they didn’t have to be in DC at all.

Still even with little or no official powers and few duties, some people found a way to truly suck at the gig, and here now are my 5 worst U.S. Vice Presidents of all time.

5 – Aaron Burr

Why is he on the list? While in office he killed the great Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel. Here’s the story Hamilton hated Burr’s guts for various reasons and wasn’t shy about telling the world about it in print and in person. One day at a dinner party he made some remarks about Burr generally resembling the South end of a North bound horse, to which Burr objected. Instead of punching Hamilton in the nose, he challenged him to a duel to the death.

On July 11, 1804 they met in Weehawken, New Jersey where Burr subsequently whacked Hamilton. Even in 1804 this was considered a crime in Jersey, so Burr was charged with murder, and not to be outdone New York also charged him with murder. Eventually Burr beat the charges with the musket ball defense, when his lawyer persuaded the jury that “if it doesn’t flt you must acquit.”

He would be the first serving VP in U.S. history to shoot someone in the face, but not the last.

4 – Dan Quayle

J. Danforth Quayle was America’s 44th Vice President and probably the dumbest. Clearly the lightest of political lightweights he was chosen as George Herbert Walker Bush’s VP to make him seem more substantial.

Quayle, an Indiana Congressman, was a virtual nobody when G.H.W. Bush picked him for his running mate, allegedly for his boyish good looks that would appeal to the ladies and the young. Why is he on the list? Quayle makes the list on general buffoonery, making comments that until 2000 were the stupidest ever uttered by American officialdom including:

“If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.”

“Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.”

“What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.”

“One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared.’”

And a personal favorite, “welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.” During the election campaign of 1988 Quayle had to debate Democratic VP Candidate Lloyd Benson. During that debate Quayle famously compared his minor political experience to John F. Kennedy’s at the time of his election, to which the elder statesman Benson rebutted:

“Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy,”

Part 2 of our 3 part series will be published tomorrow!

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