President Cheney?

The Weekly Standard ^ | 03/07/05 | Fred Barnes

[ontos-on]

You presume more testosterone in the NYS GOP than I have ever seen.

[schu]

I reiterate my point, it was not about our leadership, they were flawed, but who was not? I find your description of Churchill to be comical, he liked his whiskey, but was firmly against communism. Sir Winny the man of the 20th century.

Where was the public support for these endeavors which your posts suggest? Fascism was defeated, the people wanted a normal life. It is just entirely too convenient to criticize those who were making those decisions today based upon 50 years of hindsight. Just how do you think we could have pushed Stalin out of eastern Europe?

Your condemnation of our leaders at that point reminds me of those who criticize the Dresden affair, Monday morning QBing at its finest.

[GOP_Raider]

Hmmmmm.....well, in that case, How 'bout Bobby Knight??? :)

There'd be some very interesting press conf.'s with Bobby in charge.

[Wiz]

2012 Rice-Rumsfeld... no?

[dufekin]

Here's the deal: Every president who has succeeded a two-termer (from the same party) has been either:

(1) a "senior administration official," meaning a high-profile Cabinet officer or the vice-president; or

(2) a governor. Most presidents got their offices after successfully running one of the fifty states.

Notably, NONE, repeat NONE, have been Senators. The Senate is a warehouse of people who WANT the Presidency but lack the leadership to get there.

With that in mind, let us evaluate the potential candidates.

George Allen: My Governor when I lived in Virginia. Very effective; perhaps he should return to Richmond this year and agree to appoint Kilgore as his replacement in the Senate. Then run in '08. But don't discout a President Kilgore automatically either. (That would really irk ex-veep Gore.)

John McCain: Senator. Used to like him, but he's a little, well, power-hungry or perhaps just too old.

Rudolph Guiliani: Too liberal for the red-state electorate (especially on social policy), but great on foreign policy. Let him replace Hillary in 2006. (That should deflate Hillary's bubble, but interestingly, Lincoln lost a Senate race to Douglas in 1858 before defeating him for the presidency in 1860.)

Bill Frist: Senator. Automatically disqualify. Perhaps he should return to Tennessee as a Governor.

Bill Owens: Colorado governor. Reputedly has some family problems, but otherwise solid. Opponent of tax hikes.

Arnold Schwartzenegger: Not born an American citizen, therefore ineligible. And we're not going to change our Constitution.

Chuck Hagel: Who? Some RINO Senator? Never. May he lose his next primary.

Sam Brownback: Senator. Disqualify until he gets some real experience (Governor of Kansas).

Rick Santorum: Senator, perhaps too conservative for his own geriatric Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, especially with the wild popularity and increasing ranks of the deceased Philadelphia Democrats.

Mitt Romney: Looks conservative, but only by the standards of Massachusetts, and as a victim of lunatic judical tyranny. Is it possible to carry both Massachusetts and the South?

Let's try: Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina. As a former Congressman, he knows something about foreign policy. And he's a real fiscal conservative, too.

Mark Sanford:

[ontos-on]

It is very different given the political climate at that time.

Not really accurate. HST had it within his capacity to reveal to the nation the extent to which there was leftist influence within the FDR administration and if he did that, the politial climate would have changed.

He probably chose not to do that because of intra-party loyalty or fear of intra party revenge attacks that would respond to such a leveling with the american public.

That was a direction that would have been open to him, and would have been traumatic, but also would have created the will to take steps that would have prevented the development of the Red Nuclear program.

I think the Korean point is the best. The invasion of the South was based on a calculation of what Truman would do, and they clearly detremined that he would not respond effectively.

This alternative history stuff is just speculation, of course, so I dont want to fault HST too much. The point is that his reasons for not being more effective in countering the Reds when we were the only nuclear power, are not as compelling as some want to claim. The larceny of our nuclear secrets by the Rosenbergs and others, would be the template for the public revelations.

[ontos-on]

I see.

[ontos-on]

I see.

[GSlob]

"The main rap on Cheney is that he has a marginal circulatory system."
Well, we still have Rumsfeld who has a clean bill of health, right?

[jocon307]

"Arnold: Same as Rudy, too damn liberal."

Also not eligible, born abroad. And, no matter what, the Constitution isn't going to be amended in the next 3 3/4 years. And any move to do so to personally benefit Arnold should be rejected as far too scary.

And I love Arnie. I love Rudi too, but I think you are right, Rudi is just too far left on the serious social issues. I mean, the man is a serial marrier!

Btw, I heard the ex-wife, Donna Hanover, on the radio the other day, she's now married to some old school (hs? college? don't remember) flame and has written a book about such romances called "My Boyfriend's Back". Even though it was on NYC radio the word "Rudi" was not mentioned even once. Sounds like a cute book actually.

[schu]

Perhaps, maybe Truman did not sell the "red" threat as aggressively as he could of, maybe even for political reasons, but that is not the point. The American people were not interested in another war, furthermore we were not at all capable of mounting an offensive against communism. Our relative poor performance in the Korean War shows that the US military had been seriously degraded, notwithstanding the heroic efforts by our soldiers.

The times were not aligned with the needs, Korea and Vietnam are what happens when your leaders decide to get your people into wars without the backing of the electorate.

[snugs]

I totally agree. He came back into politics because he saw in GWB someone who had a vision and a man who he wanted to and could work for in assisting him in the pursuit of this vision.

He says he has no interest in running for the Presidency he has always said he thought about running in 1996 but decided he did not want to do the things you have to do to be President so went into private life instead. I cannot see him changing his mind and IMHO the health issue as far as he is concerned had nothing to do with this decision.

Yes Dick go fish your stream spend time with Lynne and your children and grandchildren.

God Bless Dick Cheney and may he have a long and happy retirement.

[snugs]

The only reason.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"The main rap I've heard on Cheney is that he lacks the charisma to get elected. This is nonsense."

Got that right. Cheney's not only the smartest and ablest VP in at least a century, he's a hoot-- easily the most engaging natural wit in politics since Mo Udall.

There's another thing that would be beneficial in a Cheney candidacy-- the Halliburton howlings from the far left would do for Republicans what Michael Moore did this past year: drive reasonable Dems into the comforting arms of a sane and focused GOP.

[snugs]

Cheney is not a well man. .............More than anything else, Dick Cheney is tired.More than anything else, Dick Cheney is tired. Lynn Cheney is tired

Where is your evidence for this because he does not want to run for President. He still have the appetite for his job he just does not want the Presidency and no one could have had more vigor than Lynne Cheney on the campaign trail last year.

The most recent photo I have seen of him taken on 17th February hardly seems that of a tired ill old man.

[snugs]

John McCain: Like him, hope he runs.

If Cheney is considered too old or ill then why is not McCain, he is older than Cheney and has also had health issues.

[snugs]

Just a slow day for news last week he is going to resign due to ill health next year this week he will run for President in 2008.

[MindBender26]

Met with him in Orlando during campaign. He was VERY tired. Plus, he has nothing to prove.

Seriously, he will be glad to go home.

[snugs]

My guess is that Cheny may actually have more serious health problems than he lets on. It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't serve out the entire four year period.

What evidence do you have for that a recent photo of him taken on the 17th of this month would indicate otherwise.

[snugs]

Here here