Claire Deserves A Higher Rank In 'HoC' Season 4

Unless you've been hangin' out in space á la Scott Kelly for the past year, you're aware of the political turmoil that's currently taking place on our TV screens. No, I'm not referring to the knock-down drag-outs between the G.O.P. and Democratic Party — I'm talking about real contention between House of Cards' Frank and Claire Underwood (Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright). The last time we saw Claire, she was rejecting a ride on Air Force One because she was tired of putting up with Frank's lies. It's always been clear that Claire aspires to more than being just the First Lady, so is it at all possible that the First Lady could be Vice President?

Although Frank appointed Donald Blythe (Walter Halpern) to serve as his vice president, anyone who has seen or even heard of House of Cards knows that no one is safe from the Underwoods. If some misfortune was to befall Vice President Blythe (once again — no one is safe), then it would be up to Frank to find someone to take on the position. Under the United States Constitution, article two, section one, which details the powers of the executive branch, the vice president merely need to fulfill the same qualifications that the role of the president requires: The candidate must be a "natural-born" citizen; thirty-five years of age; and an inhabitant of the United States for at least 14 years. That being said, Claire, who is 49 years old, was born in Dallas, and has definitely lived in the U.S. for 14 years, could technically be the vice president.

Claire has been supportive of Frank's stratospheric rise to power while quietly trying to gain her own momentum. Over the past three seasons, viewers have witnessed her blackmail, cajole, and even self-sabotage her way to get whatever it is she desires. Her hands are certainly no cleaner than her husband's, which is why the fact that their relationship has seemingly dissolved is so fascinating. Claire was ostensibly displeased with the duties of the First Lady that she considered to be trifling (selecting commemorative eggs, for example, which Claire later devoured with aplomb), and her final breaking point was when Frank tried to belittle her by saying that she was nothing without him. Oh, no you didn't.

According to Entertainment Weekly's review of the first half of Season 4, Claire has absconded to Texas, her home state. Though it may seem suspect that Claire and Frank are not living under the same roof, former First Lady Hillary Clinton also chose to renege her "official" First Lady duties by relocating in order to become the New York Senator. Perhaps Claire is considering a similar option. Commuting is in, people, and if Claire has the gumption to aspire to more than what she was pigeonholed into, than more power to her. Slay, queen.

Speaking of queens, the notion of the second-most powerful person in the country being married to the first sounds vaguely familiar, as in the king-queen dynamic of other countries. This show already has Shakespearean undertones, so perhaps this power move really wouldn't be too much of a long shot. Though it may be atypical for a husband and wife duo to become President and Vice President, it is not outside the realm of possibility, and definitely not unlikely for a show as wildly unrestrained as House of Cards.

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