the.com/vice president
A heartbeat away from power, a world away from the decisions.
means The second-in-command officer who stands ready to take over the top job if needed, but in the meantime mostly presides, attends, and waits.
from From Latin vice, meaning 'in place of' or 'instead of' (the same root found in vice-admiral and vicarious), fused with president, from praesidere — 'to sit before' or 'preside over.' So the title is literally 'the one who sits in place of the one who presides' — built from the start to be a stand-in, not a chair-holder.
- job description
- attend funerals, break Senate ties, wait
- constitutional duty
- preside over Senate, vote only if tied
- career path
- often a launchpad to the presidency itself
- famous quote
- not worth a bucket of warm spit