The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won’t take it, but somebody always does.

Bill Vaughan (1915–1977) was an American newspaper columnist known for wry, aphoristic observations about politics and human nature. This quip belongs to a long tradition of American political humor that treats the vice-presidency as an office publicly disparaged as powerless or thankless, yet privately coveted for its proximity to the presidency. Vaughan’s comparison to “the last cookie on the plate” evokes a familiar social ritual—performative reluctance masking real desire—mirroring how politicians often deny ambition while maneuvering for advantage. The line circulated widely in mid‑20th‑century U.S. political commentary, especially during election seasons when running mates are chosen and candidates insist they are not “seeking” the job.

The joke turns on hypocrisy and social theater. Like guests who insist they won’t take the last cookie to appear polite, politicians often profess disinterest in the vice-presidency to seem modest, principled, or above ambition. Yet the office’s symbolic prestige and its potential as a stepping-stone to the presidency ensure that someone will accept it. Vaughan’s metaphor also hints at the vice-presidency’s ambiguous status: not the “main course” of power, but still desirable because it is scarce and confers status. The quote skewers both political ambition and the etiquette of denial that surrounds it, suggesting that public virtue-signaling frequently coexists with private calculation.