Well, right now, Dick Cheney is what we have. He's stepping up and taking Obama on for the whole country (right and left). He knows what the stakes are.
Posted on 05/14/2009 5:54:06 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
Well, well, well. So the man liberals love to hate . . . might just be right. George Stephanopoulos has acknowledged that Dick Cheney’s national security arguments “have started to get some traction” with the Obama administration.
The This Week host made his admission to Robin Roberts on today’s Good Morning America. He did so in the course of explaining Pres. Obama’s photo flip-flop. After promising to release photos of enhanced interrogations, PBO suddenly announced yesterday that his administration would seek to block their release.
View video here.
(Excerpt) Read more at finkelblog.com ...
McCain (John or Meghan)
No doubt the left is searching for a suitable GOP candidate to boost and then defeat in 2012. Perhaps the unelectable Romney will meet their needs.
It’s not that we need a new face. It’s that we’ve always allowed the Left to define the faces we present.
So Chaney has no right to defend the Bush Administration record when it is directly attacked? So he should remain silent just because liberals and the media say he should remain silent? Sorry, Cheney has every right to speak up to defend the Bush administration. And as for Republicans, since when did the definition of “opposition party” become “bow and scrape and agree to everything the majority party and President say and do”? Republicans should act like an opposition and hold the Obama administration to account for everything that it does in light of conservative principles. It should not act ashamed of those principles.
“I was flamed yesterday for my negative Cheney comments, and will probably get it again today, and tomorrow, but I think Cheney’s continued presence in the media is playing into Obama’s hands. They are making him—Cheney—the face of the Right. The latter will be the source of our argument.
If the Left could choose a spokesperson for the Right, who would it be?”
If you recall both vice-presidential debates Cheney was in, you will recall that Cheney comes across as a very substantial, thoughtful person.
For some reason, the Bush admin kept Cheney behind the scenes for the last 8 years (my guess is that compared to Cheney, Bush comes across as rather light-weight.)
The left has worked hard to demonize Cheney (just as the have Palin and Limbaugh), but the more exposure Cheney gets the less that is working.
Cheney isn’t the stereotype the left would make him out to be. Remember, this is a guy that has a gay daughter, supports civil-unions for gays, and has said the federal government should stay out of the business of defining marriage (leaving it to the states.)
Cheney has also been a proponent of the big tent view on abortion (that being pro-life should not be a requirement for Republican candidates.)
On those and a number of other social issues, the social conservatives on the right would have real questions on Cheney.
I don't quite agree with that. Cheney is immutably Cheney to the left, and the same could probably be said the "the right", whatever "the right" may mean. He is what he is, to use the current saying du jour. He can't be "made into" anything. As for the left, he can't become any more of a demon to them than he already is; he's already off the scale, LOL.
So, while he is perhaps raising an eyebrow or two in the present tense, just what is it that the left is supposed to be doing here to dial up their outrage over Cheney? Are they saying "See, we told you how eeeevil he is, and the fact that he is being 100% consistent with the message he has always had is all the proof you need? Are they getting their panties in a wad because he's been on two, count 'em two talk shows? BFD, if I may say so. The Alinsky tactic may have finally run into someone it can't isolate and ridicule to effect. Hey, if he's a demon, then it's incredibly good for us for him to demonize the other side. At least someone is, someone who has nothing to lose and couldn't care less about the counterattacks. At least we have one old guy acting like an adult, and I don't think the attacks on him come at any, repeat any cost whatsoever. Whoever runs as GOP in 2010/2012, assuming we are a country that still holds elections at those times, is going to have to distance themselves from Bush/Cheney. I believe this comes at no net cost. OTOH, let the left get the show trials over Cheney's use of torture going. Bring 'em on. Because Pelosi is on absolutely solid record lying four (by last count) separate and distinct stories. I drool over the prospect of those trials.
Horse Hockey!
Spell it in all caps: HORSE HOCKEY!
The Øbamanation has no intention at all of keeping those photos from being eventually released, this 'reversal' is just a political ploy to appear to be the Good Guy Prez while his true political soul aims at remaking the US in the USSR-lite.
We need to present a 'new' picture to the Left. Who that will be will be defined in time. But, the only thing Cheney can accomplish for the Right is to keep the fence-sitters on the Left in the Left's court.
The more time passes the more I realize just how devoid the Left is of any substance. Give them something to feel good about, or a nice picture, and they will follow. We need to start playing the image game as well as the Left.
Doesn’t matter if Cheney is the face now. He won’t be running in 2010/2012.
Meanwhile, his REASON is getting voiced. It won’t undercut the Obama’s popularity ratings, or boost his - but it will create discontent and concern with how things are going.
That is the conservative advantage - when your arguments are right, you don’t need as much personal popularity.
Would you prefer that conservatives remain silent while Obama disassembles the country?
symbolism=symposium
He's the sand in the vaseline.
He's doing a great job.
No, I think Obama is terrified of him now.
The left has already used the tactic of trying to make Cheney the face of the right. Remember...that's what Scooter Libby was all about...to try to demonize Cheney.
This time something is different. Cheney is actually now free to speak where he wasn't before (and why they could before make him out to be a demon). The more Cheney is now out speaking, the more the public can see him and judge for themselves. And the vast majority of people who see and hear Cheney realize he is a well-reasoned, thoughtful and excellent leader.
Well, the “vast majority” that are mature adults, at least.
Cheney isn’t getting traction with Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold who said: “Nothing I have seen — including the two documents to which former Vice President Cheney has repeatedly referred — indicates that the torture techniques . . . were necessary,” said Mr. Feingold, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee who has access to classified documents. “The former vice president is misleading the American people when he says otherwise.”
Personally, I don't even think it will be just the mature ones.
I think a whole bunch in the mushy middle who were and are usually led by the nose will think, "why was this guy trashed? Seems fairly normal to me."
“So.... At least he has a face we can be proud of. Who do you suggest for the face of the GOP... McCain, Snow, ...”
Oh, hands down... Charlie Crist!! I can’t think of a more powerful voice for conservative values! /HEAVY sarc
“Perhaps the unelectable Romney will meet their needs.”
Which is why, conversely, they feel the overwhelming need to denigrate Sarah Palin. Their actions speak volumes.
OREMUS!!!
If only republicans were smart enough to point out that presidents are supposed to listen to the experts and make good decisions the FIRST time. Oy.
I can’t even remember a president reversing himself in such short order. It’s pathetic.
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