Lately, it seems you can't consume your dose of daily media without being exposed at some level to the heated discourse surrounding the vice presidential nominations. Of course, over the last few weeks, the talk has been focused more specifically on the nominee in lipstick -- hockey mom or pit bull (depending where you stand).

There are those that say the vice presidential position isn't really that important, and that his/her only real job is "to wake up in the morning, call the president, and if he answers the phone then to go back to bed."

This election year, however, is different. I suspect that the vice presidential nominations have elicited such passion because people are concerned that this person might actually become president (the heartbeat away argument). After all, the oldest candidate in the history of this country's great democracy is running against the first African-American nominee.

What I find interesting is that even in this great "Representative Democracy," we do not choose the person who is hypothetically the second most powerful person, the vice president. Instead the future most powerful person, the aspiring-to-be president, chooses him/her. Yes, there are committees to help with the choice and delegates who vote to approve the proposed VP, but the status quo remains -- support the presidential candidate's pick.

The bigger issue may be that the vice presidential choice is not necessarily what is best for the country, but instead, who is perceived to be the most likely choice to get the candidate elected. A selection is usually made so the presidential hopeful can gain votes in geographical and/or ideologically remote areas removed from his normal base.

To my knowledge, all other executive and legislative leaders are voted into power by their constituents' individual votes. I know in New York State we vote for the governor as well as the lieutenant governor, mayors, assemblymen and so on and so forth.

Some good has come out of all this candidate speculation, like the fact that more people are actually taking an interest in this presidential campaign. Hopefully, this will create an increased involvement in our democracy, and higher voter turnout. It is believed by many that the pending vice presidential debate will even get a higher viewership than an "American Idol" episode... OK, now I may be getting ahead of myself.

Let's just hope that both VP candidates put their best foot forward, or in their mouth (making it easier for America to decide). After all, we have a lot at stake. As we say in my business, "this is not a dress rehearsal."

That's my story and I'm sticking to it (for now).

[image: Variety.com]