Since we are living in the age of celebrity worship with instant fame through social media and attention seekers everywhere, there is no greater buzzkill than being labeled “boring.” Once pinned to your persona, the label can result in being ignored, outshined, denigrated and forgotten.

In Hollywood, boring means career death. But now, in the presidential campaign trail, boring means one heartbeat away from the presidency. Why in this election cycle did boring suddenly become an asset leading to the potentially history-changing title, vice president of the United States?