The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the

In the words of Bill Vaughan, “The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won’t take it, but somebody always does.” we hear the wit of a humorist cloaked in the garments of truth. Vaughan, an American columnist famed for his sharp observations of politics and daily life, compared one of the highest offices in the land to the humble final morsel on a plate—desired, yet disdained; disrespected, yet never left untouched. In this image, the Vice-Presidency is revealed as both a prize and a burden, an office mocked for its seeming emptiness but still coveted because of the power that lingers in its shadow.

The origin of this thought lies in the curious place of the Vice Presidency in American history. For much of its existence, the role was derided as ceremonial, a waiting room to the presidency with little real responsibility. John Adams, the first man to hold the office, declared it “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived.” And yet, no matter how diminished the office was made to appear, there were always men willing—even eager—to take it. Why? Because like the last cookie, it carries a promise: if fortune turns, it can transform into the greatest seat of power.

History gives us vivid examples of this transformation. Consider Harry S. Truman, who served as Vice President for only eighty-two days, largely excluded from the great councils of Roosevelt’s administration. When Roosevelt died suddenly in 1945, the overlooked Truman became President at the dawn of the nuclear age, bearing burdens greater than any man before him. So too, Lyndon B. Johnson, chosen by John F. Kennedy as a political balance, found himself thrust into the presidency in Dallas after tragedy struck. In both cases, the office once treated as trivial became the gateway to ultimate authority. Thus, Vaughan’s metaphor rings true: no matter how much it is dismissed, someone always reaches for it.

The deeper meaning of Vaughan’s words is that human ambition is rarely satisfied with disdain. Even positions mocked as empty or useless hold attraction, because power—even hidden, even dormant—is never truly without weight. The Vice-Presidency is like the last cookie not only because it appears unwanted, but because secretly, everyone desires it. To claim it may seem an act of compromise or humility, but beneath it lies the eternal human hunger for possibility, for the nearness to greatness, for the chance that fate will turn.

And yet, there is a paradox here. For while the Vice Presidency is often treated lightly, it is also the embodiment of patience, of preparation, of readiness. To accept it is to stand in the shadow, knowing that you may never step into the sun. Many who took the role never rose higher, living out their years as historical footnotes. But those who did ascend changed the destiny of nations. Thus, the office is both ridicule and responsibility, both jest and solemnity. Vaughan’s humor captures the irony, but history reveals its gravity.

The lesson for us, O listener, is that opportunities which seem small, trivial, or unwanted may carry within them the seeds of destiny. Do not scorn the last cookie, nor the lesser role, nor the chance that others dismiss. For often it is through these that fortune works her quiet transformations. The humble post may prepare you for greatness; the overlooked task may reveal your strength. What matters is not whether others laugh at what you accept, but whether you are ready when the call comes.

As for practical action: learn to embrace responsibility even when it seems beneath your ambition. Do not chase only the thrones of power; be willing to dwell in their shadows, if only to learn and grow. Like the Vice Presidency, some roles may appear ornamental, but they hold within them the potential to shape the future. In your own life, take up the duties others disdain, for it may be through these that you will be tested and proven.

Thus, Bill Vaughan’s jest endures as wisdom: the Vice-Presidency is like the last cookie on the plate. Mocked, avoided, and joked about—but always taken. And so it is in life: positions that seem small may one day lead to greatness, if only one has the patience, the humility, and the courage to claim them.