The First Veep, Bolivia's next VP, and more
Veeply Roundup
Our top story is the Bolivian elections where, no matter who wins, Bolivia will have a young and unconventional vice president. Lots of stuff on Vance, who was quiet when Zelensky came to the White, was featured in a long profile about his time in the Marines, and was in classic Philly fashion by the City of Brotherly Love. Finally, we wander back into history with a profile of the first Veep (it’s not who you think!)
Welcome to your Veeply Roundup.
Vice Presidential Excitement in Bolivian Elections
Bolivia may be the exception to the general rule that vice presidents don’t really influence election outcomes. The two tickets that emerged from the August 17 elections, and will meet in the October 19 run-off (the first in Bolivian history), feature dynamic young vice presidential candidates who have each had an impact on the campaign trail.
Most of the press on Bolivia’s election highlights that none of the leftist parties emerged from the first round of voting. Whether the centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party or the rightist former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga of the Free Alliance win, for the first time in two decades Bolivia will not have a leftist government. This appears to be part of a regional trend away from the left and towards the center. But this is a newsletter about vice presidents, not Latin America. For more on Bolivia and Latin America in general, turn to my go-to source, the excellent James Bosworth.
Both candidates chose political outsiders under 40 as running mates. Paz’s running mate, Edmand Lara is a former police captain who rose to fame by posting TikToks about police corruption. Lara has over 130,000 subscribers. Tuto’s running mate, Juan Pablo Velasco, is a tech entrepreneur. His rallies feature music and are more akin to rock concerts. His slogan is “Make Bolivia Sexy Again.”
The runoff election is October 19. But here at the Down the Hall the interesting question is whether their celebrity on the campaign trail will translate to influence in office. In Colombia, the rock-star VP did not become a governing partner, although this may have been driven by the personality of the mercurial president.
Vox Vance
Lots of interesting Vance news, but we’re going to focus on Vance the communicator (since that’s mostly what a vice president is.) The top story is about what Vance didn’t say.
The Veep that Didn’t Bark
The biggest news about JD Vance is what he didn’t do. When Trump held a meeting at the White House with Ukranian president Vladimir Zelensky and leaders of several European allies, Vance kept quiet. Vance haters said that Vance looked like he was sitting at the kids table while the grown-ups talked. This was in marked contrast to the earlier, disastrous White House meetingin which Vance castigated Zelensky. Reportedly Vance instructed Zelensky to “behave.” Zelensky, and the European leaders know their audience and have learned ways to manage Trump: listening and not triggering his outbursts.
Vance Learning his Craft
There is a lengthy article in Politico about Vance’s time in the Marines, including his tour in Iraq. This article will be a key reference for future biographers.
First and foremost, Vance served. Second, he doesn’t run on his service, although he also doesn’t hide it. Vance did nothing wrong during his time as a Marine—there is no suggestion that he did. He served in the public affairs office, which was often considered a cushy job. But he didn’t pull strings to get it, he just tested very well.
The article discusses how Vance’s time in Iraq shaped his worldview. As a public affairs staffer, he had to “sell” the war to the media and show that progress was being made. But Vance’s own eyes and ears told him different. Iraq was a disaster and the people there had little interest in American ideas about democracy—which was supposedly the rationale for our misadventure. Vance, quite sensibly, questioned how the foreign policy elites who had pushed for and were hyping the war in Iraq were so unaware of the basic realities of the place they had invaded; a decision that cost too many lives. These are all fair points. The experience sparked Vance’s skepticism about the Washington consensus on many things. It also pushed him in the direction of Trump.
The article also showed how this time shaped Vance as a communicator. Vance may not be a great writer (although he is still young.) Hillbilly Elegy will probably not stand the test of time as a great exegesis of Appalachian or American culture. But it was successful from a communications perspective, it promoted JD Vance. His time in the Marines, both in Iraq and in the U.S., where he handled difficult situations far above his pay grade, taught him how to shape a narrative, reframe questions, and adapt ideas to his ends. Skills that have served him well.1
Does Vance have an Epstein Scheme?
Speaking of vice presidential communications, Bill Kristol, former neo-con avatar and DC elite condemned by Vance, had some thoughts on Vance’s involvement with the Epstein documents. Kristol argues that Vance’s actions and statements have raised the profile of the issue, when the administration seeks to lower it. Kristol suspects that Vance is doing this purposefully, in order to hurt Trump and prevent him from trying to run again in 2028.
Besides his role as a neocon and more recently as a hardline anti-Trumper, Kristol was chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle. During his time with Quayle, Kristol was well-known as the biggest leaker in DC—much to the consternation of President Bush Sr. and his staff. One of my long held theories about Kristol and Quayle is that whatever virtues the former may possess, he was probably not the right chief of staff for Quayle. A chief of staff is a nuts and bolts political operator, not a big ideas person.
Anyway, I am skeptical of Kristol’s argument. Annoying the president is a costly strategy for any VP, but particularly when the president is as vindictive and petty as Donald Trump.
While Kristol has insight into both vice presidents and the DC communications ecosystem, he is not an analyst. Kristol is a participant. His own take is intended to shape the discussion, rather than examine it. As a citizen, I am sympathetic to Kristol’s goal of creating wedges within MAGA. As an analyst, I doubt that Vance is trying to undermine Trump. But I don’t doubt for a second that Kristol is!
The First Veep: It’s Not Who You Think
If John Adams wasn’t the first Veep, then, what the hell are you talking about?
Alben Barkley, Vice President to Harry Truman, was a bundle of vice presidential firsts and lasts.
Born in a Kentucky log cabin, Barkley worked his way through college, sat for the bar, and entered local politics. He was tremendous on the campaign trail, affable and able to deliver lively speeches full of homespun yarns and jokes. In the Senate he rose to become majority leader for the Democrats. FDR considered him for the vice presidency in 1944 but went instead with his Senate colleague Harry Truman. In 1948 the Democratic convention was a moribund affair. Everyone expected Truman would lose the election. Barkley’s oratory energized the convention. It also led Truman to invite Barkley to join the ticket.
Truman may have had another motivation. He was 65 in 1948, which was considered too old for the presidency at the time. But Barkley turned 71 shortly after election day and became the oldest person to take their first oath of office as vice president. Truman may have had his eyes on 1952 (the Constitutional amendment limiting the president to two terms did not apply to Truman). An even older vice president would not be a potential rival.
Barkley was probably the last vice president who was a truly fun DC character. While Truman conducted his whistle stop tour, Barkley campaigned by prop plane. A widower, in office he courted a much younger widow. He is the only vice president to have married in office. It was in this mode that he became the first Veep. His ten year old grandson found Mr. Vice President to be a mouthful and started saying Veep. Barkley loved it and the term caught on.
Barkley was a number of other firsts and lasts as VP. As I noted in another post, he was the last sitting VP who pursued the party nomination for president to not get it. Truman’s numbers were in the tank and he decided not to run for re-election in 1952. Barkley pursued the nomination, but labor leaders, a critical Democratic constituency, would not give their support to such an aged candidate (he was 74).
In another way, Barkley was a first. The new American role in the devastated world, the beginning of the nuclear age2, and the start of the Cold War all raised the profile and importance of the president. If the president is such a critical figure, then logically the vice president—the back-up equipment—must also be important. When the National Security Council was established in 1947, the vice president was made a statutory member—to ensure that in an emergency the VP was fully immersed in U.S. military and foreign affairs. In another sign of this changed status, Barkley was the first VP to receive Secret Service protection. After Puerto Rican terrorists tried to kill President Truman, Congress passed a law that authorized Secret Service protection for the vice president. Five agents were initially assigned, but Barkley insisted that two would be sufficient. This foreshadowed the present in which extraordinary (and perhaps absurd) measures are taken to protect presidents and vice presidents from even the remotest risk of harm.
Political Journalist Jules Witcover: May his memory be a blessing
Many of the details I write about past vice presidents (particularly the lesser-known ones) come from The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power by Jules Witcover. I am sorry I don’t explicitly cite it, but you should assume that it is part of nearly everything I write. I’ll do better.
In his heyday Witcover wrote a column on politics with Jack Germond that was essential reading for anyone interested in politics (back in the days when newspaper columnists really mattered.) Witcover enjoyed writing history and turned his hand to it full-time when his column ended. The American Vice Presidency is one of his many books and an essential reference for any veepologist.
Witcover died last week at the age of 98. I was surprised he was still alive. I attended a book event for The American Vice Presidency over a decade ago and met him briefly. He seemed ancient then. Another living link to an increasingly distant past severed.
Looking Ahead and Looking Back
This week we posted:
Our early take on the GOP Veepstakes for 2028 on Wednesday, August 20.
For Throwback Thursday we posted the first part of a trilogy of posts on humanity and technology—with some contemporary updates.
Next week will feature:
Early in the week we’ll talk about how the atomic bomb changed the presidency (this month is the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.)
For Throwback Thursday we’ll post part two of our trilogy on technology, which looks at the broader social implications of technological advancements.
Friday will be, of course, the Veeply Roundup—what will VP Vance do next?
A very wise friend suggested I write about vice presidents who were writers (there are more than you’d think!)
D.M. Giangreco makes a strong case that Truman did know about the atomic bomb project before he became president.