Them Crazy Veeps: 13-12

The Veeps are ranked and ready to go. Starting at the middle, as the green numbers get lower, the guys get better, but as the red numbers go down, we get into some crazy-ass mother-fuckers. (6 of 12)

#13 - Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (Governor, Republican-NY) 1974-1977 (appointed, 1 term) Pres: Ford

Rockefeller was the right man at the right time. For the first time, a vice president had to take office because his president resigned in disgrace. By appointing a strong leader like Rockefeller, the Ford Administration was able to maintain the image of strong leadership. Had it not been for Ford's Chief of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld, blocking his every attempt to get anything accomplished on his own, Rockefeller could have done some good in post-Nixon Washington.

#12 - Lyndon Baines Johnson (Senator, Democrat-TX) 1961-1963 (ascended) Pres: Kennedy

He gets a lot of extra points because he spent a good part of the beginning of his presidency finishing Kennedy's work and pushing through Civil Rights legislation. His Vice Presidency, though, would barely be remembered had it not been for the Kennedy assassination. He brought to the office unprecedented political skill and experience, but Kennedy's people kept him as powerless as possible.

#13 - Charles Curtis (Senator, Republican-KS) 1929-1933 (1 full term) Pres: Hoover

The office turned a soft-spoken Senator into a pompous prick. He was outspoken to the point of giving the impression he thought he should be president instead of Hoover. When WWI veterans marched on Washington demanding their pensions, Curtis overstepped his authority and sicked National Guard on the crowd. The plight of a Depression-plagued country seemed to roll off him as he became embroiled in some sort of feud between his wife and Alice Roosevelt. Let's review: pompous, reactionary, and out-of-touch; exactly what we needed during the Great Depression.

#12 - John Tyler (Delegate, Whig-VA) 1841 (ascended) Pres: W. H. Harrison

Tyler set a precedent that held the country together through several presidential crises. By so staunchly holding onto the office, he institutionalized the idea that if a president dies, the VP is no mere acting president, but a full-fledged president, deserving of the whole remainder of the term. On the other hand, this precedent is how some of the assholes on his list get to be called president. During his time as VP, he disagreed so strongly with President Harrison that he simply left Washington after his inauguration. The final nail in the coffin? He supported the South during the Civil War.

Coming Up - Which VP shot his own friend?


Later - Which VP shot a dude for hurting his feelings?