To be obvious, vice presidents matter because they could become president. The president would have to die before that would happen, but the fact remains that when we vote for a president and his/her policies, we’re also voting for their vice president’s policies.  

This sets the standards to become a big issue in this year’s election as there are startling differences between Mitt Romney’s viewpoints and his VP candidate Paul Ryan’s. The Huffington Post has addressed two special issues on which Ryan disagrees with Romney. On abortion, Romney promises to include an exception for rape/incest, but Ryan has habitually voted for personhood amendments with no exception for rape/incest. On the budget plan, Romney has said Ryan’s plan is “very much on the same page” as his own, but needs some “changes.” Which platform will we get if something were to happen to Romney?  

Vice President Joe Biden has always been a loose cannon, especially during this election year. He spilled the beans on marriage equality and laughed at Ryan all through the Danville debate. But, the thing about the Obama/Biden ticket is that these candidates agree on their platform, so when you vote for Obama’s platform, you will get Obama’s platform even if Biden becomes president.  

So, in two weeks, when we decide the future of our country, will we side with the candidates whose platform we can trust to stick, or will we side with those who can’t even compromise between the two of them.