A vice president becoming president happens — but usually not

NEWS AND OPINION:

“Vice President Kamala Harris has launched her bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. While most U.S. vice presidents in recent decades have sought the presidency, relatively few of them have won,” reports Katherine Schaeffer, a research analyst for the Pew Research Center.

“Overall, 29 of the 49 people who have served as vice president since the country’s founding have gone on to formally seek a party’s presidential nomination, either immediately after leaving the vice presidency or in the years that followed. Ten of these 29 vice presidents – about a third – have been elected to the nation’s top political office,” Ms. Schaeffer wrote.

“Until the 1930s, it was less common for the vice president to seek the presidency. Many returned to a lower elected office or retired after serving as vice president. Still, earlier well-known presidents including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt had previously served as vice president,” she continued.

“Among modern vice presidents, running for the top job has become more of the norm. Starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term in 1933, 15 of 18 vice presidents have launched presidential campaigns of their own after serving in the deputy role. But only five of these 15 emerged victorious: Democrats Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson and Joe Biden, and Republicans Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush,” Ms. Schaeffer said.

IVY-COVERED HALLS

Harvard University recently announced plans to adopt campus-wide rules on the use of college property during student protests that prohibit overnight camping, chalking or painting university property, and unapproved signage and displays, according to the Crimson, the school’s student-written publication.

Harvard is not alone in curbing student unrest.

“Indiana University leaders have taken steps intended to better prepare for disruptive campus demonstrations,” reported CampusReform.org, a conservative student-written watchdog site.

“The Indiana University Board of Trustees has strengthened the university’s longstanding commitment to protecting and supporting the right to free speech by affirming IU’s existing First Amendment Policy and ratifying a complimentary Expressive Activity Policy,” Campus Reform said in a report released Friday.

“The new policy supports protests and demonstrations that don’t materially and substantially disrupt university operations or hinder the expressive activity of another individual or group,” the report noted.

“In order for free speech for all to flourish, we needed to clarify our policies so people clearly understand the allowable time, manner and place for free expression. We can’t let one person or group’s expression infringe on the rights of others, disrupt learning experiences for our students or interrupt regular university business,” advised W. Quinn Buckner, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, in a written statement cited by the report.

WEDDING BELLS

Sen. Tim Scott got married Saturday in the chapel at the Seacoast Church in the town of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. His bride was 47-year-old interior designer Mindy Noce, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.

“It marked the first wedding of a sitting U.S. senator from South Carolina in more than 50 years, the news organization said.

“In addition to close family and friends, the guest list included former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2-ranking Senate GOP leader,” the coverage noted.

“Fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was also in attendance, along with Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, former Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, and Trey Gowdy, the former South Carolina congressman-turned-Fox-News-host who co-wrote a book with Scott in 2018,” the Post and Courier said.

Mr. Scott’s older brother, Ben Scott, was best man. Seacoast Church Pastor Greg Surratt — a longtime friend and close mentor who counseled Mr. Scott as he considered a 2024 GOP presidential bid — married the couple.

A BIRTHDAY OF NOTE

Friends of the National World War II Memorial — a nonprofit organization dedicated to “teaching the lessons of yesterday to unite the generations of tomorrow” — have advised Inside the Beltway that Wilburn K. Applegate turned 100 years old on Sunday.

Happy birthday, sir.

“Born on August 4, 1924, and raised in Lewis County, Kentucky, Wilburn grew up working on his family’s tobacco farm before being called to serve in World War II. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served with the 43rd Infantry, 103rd Company E, 1st and 7th Cavalry. His service took him from Lewis County to Portsmouth, Fort Thomas, Alabama, San Francisco, and across the Pacific to New Zealand, Rengola Gulf, New Guinea, Luzon, and Japan. Wilburn bravely fought in beachhead battles, including those in New Guinea and Luzon, and after the war, he was stationed in Japan as a telephone and telegraph lineman,” the aforementioned organization said.

“Upon returning home, Wilburn worked alongside his father as a farmhand, and at the Cotton Mill in Maysville. His skills in masonry quickly became sought after, leading to the founding of WKA Construction. Over the years, Wilburn and his son, Terry, laid the foundations and brickwork for many homes and buildings in Mason County, including notable projects such as the Carnation Co., Straub Elementary, the Medical Arts Building, and Seddon Methodist Church. Wilburn continued working into his early 80s, helping construct three family homes in Mason County, including his current residence,” the statement said.

POLL DU JOUR

• 36% of registered U.S. voters feel “excited” about the choices they have among the candidates running for president; 39% of Republicans, 24% of independents and 45% of Democrats agree.

• 31% of voters overall feel “satisfied but not excited” about the choices they have; 33% of Republicans, 28% of independents and 32% of Democrats agree.

• 15% of voters overall feel “unsatisfied but not disappointed” about the choices they have; 15% of Republicans, 19% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.

• 18% of voters overall feel “disappointed” about the choices they have for candidates; 13% of Republicans, 29% of independents and 10% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: A CBS News poll of 3,102 registered U.S. voters conducted July 30-Aug. 2.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.