Offering Senator Clinton the position of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to lead the reform of the American health care system, is a much better answer to the question “What to do about Hillary?” than making her the Vice President. Serving as Secretary of HHS will allow her to leave a mark on American society that will last for many decades, to the benefit of hundreds of millions of Americans—old, young and yet to be born. Furthermore, it will accord her an opportunity to correct major mistakes that she admits to making during her previous attempt to reform the health care system. Also, the position will provide her with a strong platform from which to launch her future political ambitions. As a bonus—whatever mess her husband inserts himself into will not involve the White House.
Those who will feel that Senator Clinton is being slighted if and when she is not chosen as Vice President will need to be reminded how marginal the Vice Presidency is in the American government. The Constitution provides practically no mission and next to no power for the Vice President. It is the president who is the Commander in Chief, who chooses the members of the cabinet, who submits the budget to Congress, and so on—without even an obligation to consult the Vice President or even keep him or her informed about what is going on. The Vice President does preside over the Senate and, once in a blue moon, casts a tie-breaking vote. The rest of the time, the Vice President is at the mercy of the President. (Moreover, he is often closely monitored by the President. Several times when I visited with Vice Presidents since 1980, a staff member of the President joined the meeting and took notes).
Historically, Vice Presidents have often been isolated and used mainly to stand in for the President in places he did not want to go, especially at the funerals of some heads of states overseas. Historian Stephen Graubard wrote that “the few months Theodore Roosevelt spent in that office, with nothing to do except to preside over the Senate, denied even a seat at the Cabinet table…[the] boredom was so excruciating as to make him think seriously of abandoning politics after his term of office, possibly choosing a university career instead.” According to historian Richard Baumann, Teddy Roosevelt said "I would a great deal rather be anything, say professor of history, than vice president." FDR’s Vice President John Nance Garner (1933-41) claimed the vice presidency "isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss." As Will Rogers, an early 20th century American humorist, put it: "The man with the best job in the country is the vice president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, 'How is the president?'"
Because Dick Cheney was the Vice President for the last eight years, Americans tend to think about the Vice Presidency as an all powerful position, playing a leading role in foreign and military policy. There is no sign that Obama would wish to continue to such an unusual pattern.
There is a final bonus in Senator Clinton serving as member of the cabinet rather than as a Vice President: if it turns out that she finds it difficult to be a team player under the direction of President Obama, she will find out that it is much easier to replace cabinet members than a Vice President.
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