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Towlie

(5,307 posts)
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:11 AM May 2017

Discussion: I have a question that doesn't necessarily apply to current events.

When I read this I began to wonder:

"And Vice President Mike Pence, talking to reporters, echoed his boss."

In general, is the President really the Vice President's "boss"? Can the President fire the Vice President even though he/she was elected by the people? What could happen if the Vice President publicly dissociated himself/herself from the President?

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Discussion: I have a question that doesn't necessarily apply to current events. (Original Post) Towlie May 2017 OP
A President can't fire the Vice President. Tommy_Carcetti May 2017 #1
Technically speaking, no the Pres cannot fire the VP... Wounded Bear May 2017 #2
Okay, and what if the Vice President doesn't obey the President's orders? Towlie May 2017 #3
Then he'd have to get the House to impeach and the Senate to vote him out...nt Wounded Bear May 2017 #4
I don't think he/she can order the VP around treestar May 2017 #5
The issue is that the Vice President's role has evolved from being the constitutional.... PoliticAverse May 2017 #6
"boss" doesn't have to mean "can fire", though muriel_volestrangler May 2017 #7

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,079 posts)
1. A President can't fire the Vice President.
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:13 AM
May 2017

Vice President can only be removed via impeachment.

Now, assumedly I suppose a President can do all he can to marginalize his Vice President from his office--basically shut him out of all White House business. But he can't actually fire him.

Wounded Bear

(58,436 posts)
2. Technically speaking, no the Pres cannot fire the VP...
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:13 AM
May 2017

the VP is also elected.

However, in the hierarchy of jobs in gov't, yeah the Pres is senior to the VP and can order him around.

Wounded Bear

(58,436 posts)
4. Then he'd have to get the House to impeach and the Senate to vote him out...nt
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:17 AM
May 2017

Otherwise, not much.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
5. I don't think he/she can order the VP around
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:17 AM
May 2017

The VP is elected too. If the VP went rogue and openly opposed the President, the President can't do anything about that. That's why they need to pick their running mate intelligently. The VP still has freedom of speech.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
6. The issue is that the Vice President's role has evolved from being the constitutional....
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:30 AM
May 2017

"President of the Senate" to someone who works closely with the President (Lyndon Johnson is
the VP probably most responsible for this change).

The Vice President could disassociate them-self from the President but would then
give up the ability to be as "in the loop" as they are now and would be relegated to
breaking ties in the Senate.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,145 posts)
7. "boss" doesn't have to mean "can fire", though
Fri May 12, 2017, 11:31 AM
May 2017

In a company, you may call your immediate manager your "boss", but they wouldn't have the authority to fire you on their own. They could recommend it to HR, the ultimate owner, or whoever is responsible. Since the VP is, these days, elected on the same ticket as the president and put on it by the president, and is a member of the Cabinet, I don't think think "boss" is an unreasonable usage.

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