Long gone are the days when Thomas Marshall (who?), Woodrow Wilson's vice-president could joke: "There was a woman with two sons, one of whom ran away and went to sea and one of whom was elected Vice President of the United States. Neither was ever heard of again."

As vice-president, you get to ingrain yourself with the party leadership, build up a support base, and have your photo in the newspaper every day. For that reason, maybe the VP choice should be included in the nominating proceedure.

With respect to Chenney, I always thought the choice strange. Chenney originally was tasked with reviewing possible VP choices, and in the end, he himself was named. Granted, in 2000, Chenney's reputation was very different. He was a respected elder statesman and was probably seen as a calming influence on Bush. I do find it interesting that he is now seen as "Darth Vader" but in hindsight, he should not have accepted.

Anthony Calabrese, Chicago, IL, USA

Well done Mr Baker you infuriated a lot of litlle Americaners. Their comments amused me. I think the truth hurts.

Denver Watt, Osaka, Japan

The vice president has but two duties according to our Constitution, serve as the President of the Senate (and to break any voting ties) and to take over the duties of the President if he becomes incapacitated or dies while in office.
Out of sheer curiosity what would happen if the Prime Minister were to die or become incapacitated while in office? Is there a procedure in place that would automatically select someone? Or would Britain be hamstrung for days or weeks while the party in power comes to a decision?

Peter, Richmond, VA USA

I repeat my comment since you did not print it. Mr. Baker, your understanding of US politics is inadequate, at best. George W. Bush was hardly an "effective" governor. Texas has the weakest governorship in the US. The Queen has more political power than the Texas governor. Bush's only task in Texas as governor was to sign off on death penalties. Admittedly, he carried out that task very well indeed.

Marcia , Gp,

If the Republicans win the next election, we know what Cheney's new job will be - back in the shadows but still running the country. One can see from his past that this has been his career all along. He became VP only because he saw that spot as the best one at the time to exert leverage. Note that his daughter is running a campaign for a presidential wannabe and you can see what his plan is for the future.

Hotspur, NYS, US

Bush has wasted the opportunity to be a truly great world leader at a time when the United States was in an unchallengeable position.

We could have done with someone who could have used all that might for the benefit of mankind. Instead he has disillusioned people about political power.

Marek, London,

I have to admit I didn't read the whole article but I do wonder what the purpose of the vice president is, isn't s/he supposed to be helping out the people of the United States? Didn't we even hire him to do that? I think he needs to reread his job description or maybe it needs to be rewritten.

jasper smith, seattle, wa

Only one Vice President? I think you forget Harry Truman's VP in 1952 who failed to secure the nomination. Another pertinent fact is that Richard Nixon, Al Gore, Hubert Humphrey...... all lost the general election in 1960, 1968 and 2000 respectively.

Don't get started on Vice President Agnew.

I suspect Dick Cheney would carry Wyoming in 2008 if he ran -- but he'd certainly lose. The VP slot is presidential poison. Three Electoral College votes does not make a President.

Kyle Allen, Gosport, England

The ineffectual U.S. Vice President was spotlighted in Mr. Throttlebottom of George S. Kaufmann and Morrie Ryskind's 1931 musical, "Of Thee I Sing." The danger of the clueless V.P. was underlined by Harry S. Truman's situation upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt.
Nixon served quite capably during the time that Eisenhower recovered from a heart attack. Kennedy didn't give Johnson all that much to do (except the space program), and Johnson gave Humphrey even less.
Agnew served as Nixon's attack dog; amiable Ford was his St. Bernard with the pardon.
Mondale had an excellent partnership with Carter, one that Republicans aimed to emulate.
Oddly enough, in the 1800s, the Vice President often felt offended if the President were so gauche as to ask him to become an advocate for legislation.

Howard Denson, Jacksonville, USA/Florida

Having watched the results of Cheney's advice?orders? to President Bush, I am to the point of just hoping that Cheney doesn't decide to bomb my Wal-Mart, on the grounds that the garden tools there are actually tools for terrorist activities. On a more serious note, I am holding my breath until our presidential election is over and the inauguration of the next president has taken place. It's not so much wanting Bush out, as it is that Cheney, his court, and his influence over the US policy will be gone.

marcia, lubbock, tx usa

One thing that separates Dick Cheney from recent Vice-Presidents is that because of his health he has had no intention of running for President. Consequently he has done what he believes is best for the country and not spent the time wooing the press, Congress and the electorate with the idea building support for his future election. Unfortunately his lack of kow-towing alienated the princes of the media and Congress and led to his vilification from almost day one.

Rosario , Exeter, New Hampshire

There is a vast difference between making a concise point and drawing an issue out. Trying to compare the broadsheets of Britain with Fox news is like trying to compare a particle accelerator with a wheel. I think Mr Maney should realise this fact. Also the very fact that he has commented upon an article in an "inferior" British paper I believe speaks for itself.

Michael Powell, Newcastle Upon Tyne,

Sorry but Baker has jis facts wrong. Neither Spirio Agnew nor Nelson Rockefeller ran for president after being Vice President: Agnew, who was elected twice, for the reason he went to the pokey for bribery and Rockefeler, who was not elected, stood down so the gerals ford could put someone potentially more electable on his doomed ticket.

oldasiahand, Guildford, UK

The problem isn't selecting the vice-president but in what powers the president chooses to delegate to him. Being the rich-kid nothing that he is, Shrub gladly let Cheney become the wall between himself and reality.


It's a classic story played many times before by Richelieu, Potemkin, Bismarck and Rasputin, to name but a few. The one bright spot in this version is that both Shrub and Cheney have a constitutional limit ticking away on them.

TJ Cassidy, Arlington, Virginia, USA

Gerard - in your list of veeps to candidates, you omit that Nixon (on leaving office as Eisenhower's VP), Humphrey, Mondale and Gore lost, and to say Ford and Johnson launched themselves from VP to Pres is disingenuous, as they never began a campaign as one and ended it the other.
So, although they have lifted their profile, in truth only George HW Bush has "propelled" himself from vice president to president, and he might never have got the job...

Kenneth, Glasgow, Scotland

It is our fault. Dick Cheney's record was out there for all to see, even in the '80s. The American people, buying into the "Bucket of warm spit" model of the Vice Presidency were willing to accept nearly any one witout first vetting him.
To say that George Bush had been an effective Governor is true in so far as he executed his resonsibilities in office. But Texas has a weak governor constitution which places most power in the legislature.

We should have known about both Bush and Cheney.

We were suckered!

Jim Walton, Washington, DC

I tried to find which American VP might have attended an "African leader's funeral” but could not recollect any. Nearly all of the 1960s - post independence decade - African leaders were either killed in coup or died in exiles. Mandela could have attracted at least a VP's courtesy call at the grave side, but he is still alive. It seems you chose African leaders to illustrate the low esteem that have for the American Vice President is parallel to the contempt that you harbor against Africa. I can agree that African leaders are common affront to their countries. Do you have to fabricate facts to credit corrupt dictators with honors that they have not earned and received using an American official who himself is an affront to his nation's constitutional honor?

Tseggai Isaac, Rolla, Missouri, USA

Mr. Baker I must say you show a lack of historical perspective. The process of picking a vice presidential candidate is far more open now than it has ever been, and the candidates are far more qualified. (Than, for instance, John Nance Garner, who was a typical prospective running mate in his day and you can tell most of what you need to know about him by the phrase that he's remembered for). Despite the way he is depicted in the British press, Cheney is not some guy from Halliburton but has a lifetime's experience in government including a stint as a congressman. And an active VP is new but is the result of pundits lamenting the waste of having a do-nothing VP for decades. The argument goes back to Truman at least. In every democratic country you have to be chosen by some party apparatus to run for office, far more so in, say the UK, France. Cheney's argument is lame but not w/o basis in the Constitution, and is premised not on being above the law but part of the legislature

Marcos Reilly, Chicag, USA

akram, London--

One assumes you are talking about Jimmy Carter. Correct?

Terry L. Walker, Ladson, S.C. / USA

I realize that the majority of you great Liberal thinkers still think that GW planned 9-11 and Cheney carried it out. I for one thank God everyday that Al Gore didn't become President because we would still be apologizing to the hijackers families for building the Twin Towers so high that they accidentily ran into them.

GROW UP and leave the college campus for awhile.

Peter Knutson, Cape Coral , Florida USA!

Questions for America, how does a nation that invents so much, a nation which put man on the moon, produce such an incompetent and hopelessly out of depth leader?

The political system leaves a lot to be desired.

akram, London,

Your otherwise excellent article has, I fear, fallen for the sanitised version of history by describing the VP's job as being akin to a pitcher of warm spit. The bodily fluid evoked by John Nance Garner in his famous quote was "warm piss". I know it's not nice to put readers off their breakfasts but that's what the man said (and he was qualified to know, having served as FDR's VP for eight years).

Hugh Costello, London,

It appears that maybe he is a criminal, perhaps the most powerful Capo of the Energy Mafia; a very dangerous gangster anyway. I live in other hemisphere, but the problem is that this guy is inclined to explode our whole planet, just as Bin Laden.

Sauer, Flavio, Petropolis, Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

It's interesting that the most unimportant job you can think of in American politics is to "attend African leaders' funerals". I appreciate the attempt at humour but am frankly surprised you even bothered to capitalise the A in Africa. It's a huge continent, filled with diversity and yet it seems to be so easy to dismiss by, in particular, Times writers. The lack of understanding is offensive. And until someone starts to treat Africa like it actually counts, there won't be any changes there.

Michelle, London,

To ironically dismiss "American Media" as too fond of a 4 part series is a greater comment on U.K. media (paper) than the American press (Post, Times).
Brits tend to love the quick and short sarcastic sound-bite dismissal than a reasoned and fair, long piece. In this sense, you approach FOX News.
The Post revealed more than any bilious harangue displayed in either the Guardian or Channel 4.
The Post piece wonderfully skewered Cheney. Read it.

Tobin Maney, Madison, USA

George W. Bush has never known what he is doing himself, so it is no surprise he neither controls or understands what Vice President Cheney gets up to.

George W. had only been abroad three times before taking office and Dick Cheney has run the world his way from the VP office, why should he change the way he operates.

The law may not catch up with him but with his health record, nature may do it for him.

ken.H, Harrow.,

Of course, Cheney was in charge of Bush's VP selection committee, until he decided he was better qualified than all the candidates he had identified. You couldn't write it.

bob, saint petersburg, florida, usa