The Historical Precedent of a Vice President Becoming President Without Being on the Ticket

In U.S. history, there have been instances where a sitting Vice President was able to become President without being on the same ticket with the incumbent President. This unique event, especially before the implementation of the 12th Amendment in 1804, highlights the evolution of the U.S. electoral system.

The Early Days of the U.S. Electoral System

Before the 12th Amendment, the vice president was the person who received the second most votes for president. As a result, all vice presidents elected prior to 1804 did not run alongside their party's presidential candidate. This system was quite different from the current one, where a presidential candidate chooses a running mate to form a ticket.

In the early days of the U.S., the electoral college voted for two candidates without specifying which was for president and which was for vice-president. The candidate with the most votes, and a clear majority, became president; the second-place candidate was the vice-president. This system led to interesting scenarios, such as a Federalist like John Adams serving as president and a Republican like Thomas Jefferson as vice-president.

Historical Instances Leading to the Change

The system of second-place candidates becoming vice presidents faced significant issues. For instance, in 1800, Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied with 73 electoral votes, forcing the House of Representatives to resolve the election after 38 ballots. The election ultimately went to Jefferson, as the House considered him the lesser of the two evils.

The need for clarification in the election process led to the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804. This amendment set up the current system of a presidential candidate choosing a running mate, and it also imposed the rule that vice presidents cannot be from the same state as the president.

Modern Precedents of Non-Endorsed Vice Presidents

Even with the current system, sitting vice presidents have occasionally not been supported by the incumbent president during their presidential campaigns. These instances include:

1960: Dwight Eisenhower did very little to support his VP Richard Nixon. In one instance, Eisenhower was asked to specify some significant contributions Nixon had made while serving as vice president. Eisenhower responded by saying, "Give me 20 minutes and I’ll think of something." 1968: Lyndon Johnson was not involved in his VP's Hubert Humphrey's campaign for president and maintained a remote stance. 1988: Ronald Reagan was not particularly supportive of George HW Bush's run for president, despite personal animosities between the families. 2000: Al Gore kept Bill Clinton at a distance during his own campaign, which occurred right after Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal. 2016: Barack Obama was instrumental in securing the party nomination for Hillary Clinton instead of his own VP Joe Biden. However, he fully supported Biden for the 2020 election. 2020: Donald Trump tried to rally a mob to hang Mike Pence, indicating a lack of support for his chosen running mate.

These instances demonstrate that even in the current system of political endorsements, there can be a lack of support from the incumbent president for their vice president's candidacy. Understanding these historical precedents can help us better appreciate the complexities and nuances of the U.S. presidential election process.