Posted on 07/08/2004 1:03:20 AM PDT by defenderSD
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - President Bush should consider dumping Vice President Dick Cheney from the Republican ticket this year, an influential former GOP senator said Wednesday.
Alfonse D'Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket.
There was no immediate comment from the Bush-Cheney campaign. Bush has long maintained he wants Cheney to be his running mate.
The D'Amato advice came one day after Bush's Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, announced he had selected Sen. John Edwards to be his running mate.
"Let me note that Vice President Cheney is a decent, honorable, and patriotic American, a man of great intellect, who has served the president and the nation with dedication," D'Amato said in a statement released by his office. "But we should make no mistake, we are a nation at war with a vicious terrorist foe, and in war hard decisions must be made."
"As an observer of politics, I believe the president can guarantee his essential re-election by looking to several other notable individuals who would add a great dimension to his ticket as a running mate," the New York Republican added.
Placing Powell "first and foremost" on his wish list to replace Cheney, D'Amato said the retired general "would help galvanize the nation and offer a truly historic opportunity for American unity and pride."
McCain, said D'Amato, is "a genuine American hero who would also help bridge the political divide in our nation and assure the president's re-election by a wide margin."
"While I believe George Bush will win re-election even without this bold stroke, he will insure a broader, deeper, more resonant reaffirmation of his leadership if he places his duty to continue as president above any one individual," D'Amato said.
"The president deserves more than simple re-election," the former senator added. "He deserves a mandate to continue to lead this nation to peace and prosperity."
D'Amato, who is now a highly successful lobbyist and consultant, first raised the possibility of Bush dropping Cheney from the GOP ticket in an interview Tuesday night with the NY 1 cable news channel in New York City. D'Amato is a regular commentator for NY 1.
In his NY 1 appearance, D'Amato said that while he realized his comments would "shock Republicans and probably get them angry," he said, "I think we can do better."
The former senator said he believed Powell would run with Bush if the position was offered to him.
That, said D'Amato, "would change politics in America for the better."
"Instead of millions of African-Americans having their votes taken for granted or just saying, 'Republicans don't care about us, they don't reach out to us,' this would send an incredible signal," D'Amato said. "It would turn many of the battle (ground) states into tremendous wins for Republicans."
D'Amato said McCain, who had been unsuccessfully courted by Kerry as a running mate, would help the GOP win votes from independents and conservative "Reagan Democrats."
D'Amato, who lost his Senate seat in 1998 to Democrat Charles Schumer, is a political mentor to New York Gov. George Pataki, who is considered a potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate.
I think they're wrong. Cheney is seen as competent and tough executive, who gets things done. His standing with conservative Republicans is considerably above either Powell or McCain and so are his abilities.
If the polls are still very close at the end of August, Bush will probably choose McCain as VP candidate. Cheney would move to a private-sector think tank or he could become CIA director if the Bush Admin thinks he can be confirmed without too much damage in his confirmation hearings. (I'm not sure if there are confirmation hearings for CIA director, but that could be a problem)
Yup. The debates should be popcorn events. I really don't want to miss it.
I have a friend in local politics who met Cheney recently at a fundraiser. At that diner there were a number of quiet side conversations suggesting that Cheney might be doing the party a favor if he were to take on a new role other than VP. Perhaps as head of CIA, NSA, or FBI. Cheney's administrative strengths have been key to this president, and Bush may be able to better leverage Cheney in one of those posts, while putting someone on deck for 2008.
I for one would not be surprised if Cheney moved into a new role after January.
Stick with the horse that brung ya.
Powell is a liberal in a RINO body (surprise), but hey, he's black!!!!!!!!.
Cheney is the only guy with a brain and who isn't in league with the enemy.
So buy him some plugs or a rug. Stuff his pants with an algore package. Cheney has real balls, the Breck Girl is lower than hermaphrodite pond scum.
D'Amato should go back to filling NY state pot holes.
Cheney would make the best VP, but if Bush isn't reelected then that won't matter. The VP candidate needs to do two things: 1) Don't do any harm to the ticket, and 2) Appeal to some voters who are not committed to voting for the president, i.e., pull in some votes from swing voters. The only problem with Cheney is that he appeals to the same kind of voters that Bush appeals to, and so he doesn't bring many additional votes to Bush. There's also the question of how many conservatives would be turned off by the replacement of Cheney. If that's a greater number than the number of swing voters who are attracted by McCain or Powell, then Cheney stays on the ticket.
Thanks for the heads up. D'Amato is wanting Bush to run left. McCain? Powell? Good grief. I think Bush needs to run to the right. He's too far left as it is. Perhaps he should consider Representative Dana Rohrabacher or Hayworth. What would really be cool would be Alan Keyes. He and Bush would be a powerful team, so long as Bush gave a little more to the right. I don't know much about Condi Rice. If she's pro-life, what about her?
Dumping Cheney for Powell or McCain is one of the few things that Bush could do that would cost him my vote.
Powell is a RINO and McCain is a pompous ass. If Bush picks either of them in 2004 and goes on to win, they become the presumptive Rep candidate in 2008.
Oh, and I'm convinced McCain is borderline insane to boot.
Just wondering, who is the "Breck Girl?"
---D'Amato is wanting Bush to run left. McCain? Powell? Good grief. I think Bush needs to run to the right.---
Hell, yes!
_____________________________________________
The Fat Lady still hasn't sung her song on this one - ping.
John Edwards. He's called that because he's such an empty-suit pretty boy.
Period.
Cheney is the only guy with a brain and who isn't in league with the enemy.
D'Amato should go back to filling NY state pot holes.
Now, here is a person with insight and wisdom.
goodmorning,
i am here in cny.
al has always shot his mouth off,just to shoot his mouth off.
many consituents,told him to just shut up.
he did not and lost his last race.
i am for cheney staying put.
let's not pander to washed up pundints.
Well why can't Bush win by getting a large percentage of the white male vote as he did in 2000?
You mean the same African-Americans that call Powell an "Uncle Tom" and Condi Rice a "house n*****," Alfonse? Yeah, they'd just come flocking to the GOP by the millions if Cheney were dumped for Colin Powell. Dream on.
This is all meaningless "what if" talk anyway, because it's not going to happen. There is little that matters to George W. Bush more than loyalty, and that loyalty is a two-way street. Dick Cheney has stuck by Bush through thick and thin, and Bush repays that by sticking with Cheney through thick and thin. He'd would rather lose with Cheney than win with anyone else.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.