Cheney Urged to Run for President in 2008

Washington Times ^ | March 24, 2005 | Bill Sammon

[West Coast Conservative]

Vice President Dick Cheney, in public and private, is being urged by a small but growing number of conservatives to reconsider his refusal to run for president in 2008. So far, the vice president is unmoved by the fledgling Cheney-for-president boomlet.

"I'm not running for president in '08," the vice president told columnist and TV host Lawrence Kudlow last week. "Four years from now, I don't plan to be here."

Yet Mr. Kudlow, along with fellow conservatives Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard and Tod Lindberg of Policy Review, have written columns this month pining for a reversal by the vice president. They say his foreign-policy credentials make him the most qualified heir to Mr. Bush's legacy of Middle East democratization.

"He's the logical successor," Mr. Barnes said. "He has the experience at the highest levels of government that no one else can match. And he is the embodiment, along with President Bush himself, of the achievements of the Bush administration."

Former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, Mr. Cheney's home state, scoffed at such talk. "It just ain't gonna happen," the Republican said. "And I don't usually say things with that clarity, but I know him well, and I love the guy."

What about other names being discussed for the Republican nomination in 2008? The list includes Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Bill Frist of Tennessee, and George Allen of Virginia; Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

"It's a field of strong individuals, each with a particular weakness," Mr. Barnes said. "Every one of them seems to be weak in one area or another. I don't think Cheney is."

[Freebird Forever]

I'd vote for him if he headed the ticket.

I'll also pay close attention to who he endorses should he not run.

[bushfamfan]

Duncan Hunter for '08.

[gpapa]

Definitely agree. We should concentrate on the elections in 2006 first, with the objective of maintaining the majority in the House and Senate.

[spodefly]

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

"Run Tancredo and the end result will not only be Hillary in the White House but the Democrats in control of the House and Senate."

What I said is we need someone who has Tancredo's views on illegal immigration. We need someone who can get elected and who has a good illegal, and legal, immigration policy.

The immigration problem is getting so bad it's not even going to matter if people like Hillary get elected. Our country is going to fall apart from the inside if nothing is done to stop this problem. It's pathetic that we ever allowed illegal immigration to get to this point. We need to stop all illegal immigration and stop legally letting in scumbags who contribute nothing to society and have no loyalty our nation.

[solo gringo]

I will Vote for Chenney In a heart beat.

[solo gringo]

Chenney=Cheney.

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

Cheney will be 67 years old in 2008, and (unlike Reagan in '80) he has a bad ticker. He's a good Veep for sure, but I'm a Condi for President kinda guy.

Run, Rice, run!!!