In modern times, the vice president's usefulness has been to throw their own support and votes to the presidential candidate.

After the election, the VP is then largely sat in a corner and has not much to do with the executive branch, and the day to day politics.

If we had a powerful president AND vice president working with common goals in mind, and the VP were empowered, rather than pushed into the silent corner, I can't help but think that those common goals would have a far better chance of seeing reality.

Why not? Put the VP to work, rather than push him into a closet.

Anyone else see potential here?

Think that already happened with Chaney.

The VP is the president of the senate so he's not just sitting in an office. He votes only as a tie breaker, though. He doesn't have as much power to control the senate as does the majority leader, though. Harry Reid had a lot more power than Biden because he controlled which bills made it to the floor.
There are very few tie votes so he doesn't vote very often. I think Cheney did it once IIRC when the senate was split 50-50 Dem/Rep.

Cheney was on a short leash.

VP's have become nothing but life insurance for the POTUS. Republicans choose a conservative and Democrats choose an idiot, knowing that the other team doesn't want any of that.

Pretty much the story.

yeah, I think of the vp as a back up to the Pres, ala Truman to Roosevelt, and Johnson to kennedy.

a two-headed snake might cause more confusion than good. although the jihadists are doing quite well with that strategy and orgn. structure.

on the other hand it does seem a shame a man with the political skill to wrangle a VP position is diallowed from fully utilizing his talents.

Seems it would only work with a VP who has no presidential aspirations, like Cheney. Otherwise, the POTUS is so paranoid about being outshined that he sits the VP at the card table for dinner.

Consider a team. Pres. and VP with common goals that aspire to not only be effective, but continue the goal through not only one administration, but passing the torch to the VP when the time comes.

Possible. Not very likely, though.

It's a great idea. Only problem is finding a politician in the POTUS role that could subdue his own ego enough to make it work.

trump/cruz

Like Obama/Biden?

Possible, but hopefully not very likely.

Although, I do think O's goals of destroying our country as we know it far surpass anything the idiot Biden has ever dreamed up.

I don't think so - Cheney has been maybe the most influential VP in our history.

Karl Rove referred to his as "management" as in "before you do this you better check with management"

The second term Bush started wiening himself of Cheney's council and sought out Condoleeza Rice

That led to Rumsfield being fired and a request by Cheney for Scooter Libby to be pardoned ignored

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as that relates to Trump with Cruz as a possible V.P., I see Cruz being at the right hand of Trump early on similar to Bush and Cheney, but the difference is Cruz is providing advice on how to implement Trump's agenda, not being a figure head to act on the V.P.'s vision.

With a term limit in place, I'm not sure how much Trump would care about his V.P. working to supplant him as long as the message and vision stayed on track.

The original constitution gave the VP job to the one getting the 2d highest vote total. Think about it:
Reagan's VP would have been Carter
Clinton & Bush Sr.
Bush Jr & Gore
Obama & McCain (not much different than Biden)

Of course the original setup wasn't designed for the 2 party system we have now.

If Trump is elected I doubt that his veep will just hang out all day. I doubt if any of his administration will just hang out all day.

Everybody in a Trump administration will have something to do every day.

Trump is one o'them "get 'er done" kind of people. It's how he's wired. I don't think he'll tolerate anyone in his administration that isn't.

Cruz needs to stock up on Red Bull if Trump selects him to be his veep.