Posted on 03/22/2005 4:50:48 AM PST by billorites
President Bush famously rewards loyalty and competent service. There is one more promotion logical for him to make in his second term: engineering the 2008 GOP presidential nomination for Dick Cheney.
Such a move is not, of course, within the president's plenary authority. Others will surely want the nomination. Republican-primary voters will have to be heard from. But as the 2004 election demonstrated to the surprise of many, Mr. Bush is something close to a beloved figure among Republicans nationally. That's true at the grassroots level, and it's true among the party's biggest donors. They all regard Mr. Bush as having persisted against huge adversity in a sober but bold fashion to the benefit not only of his personal political stature but also of the party. If Mr. Bush decides that he would like Mr. Cheney to succeed him, the momentum created would be huge and instantaneous.
The biggest obstacle to a Cheney candidacy is usually given as Mr. Cheney himself. I had a chance to put the question to him directly over the summer, and he convincingly stated, as he has on other occasions, that he was looking forward to 2004 as his last campaign, and that he believed an essential part of his effectiveness in offering counsel to Mr. Bush was the absence of further political ambition on his part.
That's plausible. If Mr. Cheney "retires" in January 2009, he will do so having compiled an extraordinary record of public service. His memoirs will be must reading. He will go down as possibly the most important and influential vice president in history. There will be competing biographies. His CV, come the final curtain, will hardly look incomplete. He may even emerge as a model in the selection of future vice presidents:
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Rice is good. Her biggest obstacles would be a lack of experience in as an executive and in running a campaign and perhaps being a bit too socially liberal. But Hillary lacks executive experience also. Hillary's biggest advantage is being a Senator is not a real job in that she can spend the next 3 years campaigning and no one would miss her. Condi will be too busy solving the world's problems to be running for President.
People who think Condi can't win the GOP nomination because she is black buy into the lie that the Democrats created about the GOP party. Condi's problem will be if she is too soft on abortion and gay rights.
A little makeup, a little mortician's wax...
Now a real chess move would be Cheney-Rice 2008. Let the Dems carp over the health issue...yes indeedy, what a disaster....
He would win by landslide ! Than he can step down for medical reasons and the VP steps in.
UH, I dont need President Bush to engineer this idea ... after the discussion about the alternatives (Guliani, Rice, Bill Owens, Newt Gingrich, Tom Tancredo, George Allen, Santorum, Brownback, Jeb Bush, Bill Frist) ... the one thing that leaps out is that we dont have a top notch conservative candidate...
Then there is Cheney.
CHENEY SOUNDS LIKE THE MAN TO BE PRESIDENT!
While Cornyn is a good Senator, he doesnt hold a candle imho to Dick Cheney, the ultimate CEO.
I can tell you right now that Rice as a Presidential candidate is a non-starter, she lacks the experience and 'gravitas' and would be quick political roadkill. The idea that she would be better than tested politicians to run against Hillary is imho absurd. She needs at least one vetting in an election cycle to consider that ...
OTOH, Cheney-Rice is definitely an interesting combination.
Attempts by Dems to attack Rice as inexperienced, as they tried with Quayle, will backfire.
"Any guy that runs against Hill is going to be eaten alive by the press. Rice is untouchable."
Wake up and smell the coffee ... Rice was hounded unmercifully when she was nominated as secty of state, and attacked in cartoons that bordered on racist. The idea that any republican is untouchable is ludicrous. Dont delude yourself, they will skin Rice alive and if they dont have facts to back it up, they'll invent stuff.
Heck, might as well run Tom DeLay. They've beaten up on him for 10 years - he can play Elton John's
"I'm still standing" as his theme song.
"I disagree!! Although I like the man, the MSM has given this guy such a bad reputation that it would be difficult for him to overcome. It would be far to risky for the Republican Party."
If we had to stick with people the MSM liked, we'd be stuck with some RINO (eg McCain) who'd be almost as bad as a Democrat.
The Press hated Reagan, they despised Gingrich, they lambaste Bush.... the trick is to find the conservative politician who can surmount the inevitable scorn of the liberal media.
I don't think Rummy can do it, too smart and irritated by fools ... but Cheney can. He's smart *and* smooth, he's a hundred tim russert interviews, etc.
DRAFT RUMMY BUMP!
I agree with you about Rummie, but Cheney although strategically maybe a great fit for President, does not come off well with the public. He tends to come off as arogant and cocky, all the while its usually the MSM asking him ridiculous questions.
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