Dick Cheney: Picking Sarah Palin for VP Was 'A Mistake'

Yahoo/ABC News ^ | Jonathan Karl

[dirtboy]

Dick Cheney has some advice for Mitt Romney on choosing a running mate: Don't pick another Sarah Palin.

In his first interview since receiving a heart transplant in March, Cheney told ABC News, that John McCain's decision to pick Palin as his running mate in 2008 was "a mistake" - one that it is important from Romney not to repeat.

It's subject on which Cheney has some unique experience. He helped Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush lead their vice presidential searches and, of course, served as vice president for eight years. He's also privately offered some advice to both Romney and Beth Myers, who is leading Romney's search for a runningmate, on the process.

Cheney would not comment on what he told Romney and Myers, but he was harsh in his assessment of McCain's decision to pick Palin.

"That one," Cheney said, "I don't think was well handled."

"The test to get on that small list has to be, 'Is this person capable of being president of the United States?'"

Cheney believes Sarah Palin failed that test.

"I like Governor Palin. I've met her. I know her. She - attractive candidate. But based on her background, she'd only been governor for, what, two years. I don't think she passed that test…of being ready to take over. And I think that was a mistake."

[Anti-Bubba182]

"I like Governor Palin. I've met her. I know her. She - attractive candidate. But based on her background, she'd only been governor for, what, two years..."

Lack of experience did not stop Obama.

[KC_Lion]

I have no doubt that we haven't had our last Chance to Vote for Sarah Palin, whether with or against the GOP is yet to be seen. But I know I will cast my official ballot for her again.

Yes they've attacked her, but after each attack she has stood taller then before.

We stand WITH Sarah!

[Carry_Okie]

You describe Romney perfectly, but why do you ascribe those attribute to Palin?

Palin was a politically expedient choice. McCain knew he'd flamed his base and needed to fix it. He wanted a woman or some such as that is an important and BIG demographic pickup.

She is a so-con, pro-gun, correct on the environment and such, but as her record in Wassila and the State showed she is not a careful spender. She raised city debt massively for public entertainment assets that could easily have been private were they such a good deal. She imposed a byzantine State tax system on oil producers that had drillers leaving the State. She has endorsed a number of RINOs over solid conservative candidates. So IMO, Palin is nowhere near as conservative as is claimed by her star-struck fans but better than many. I would trust her to be on America's side, but I don't trust her geopolitical, historical, regulatory, military, or economic knowledge, nor did she take the time to bone up on all that, choosing instead to cash in on star power, and has she ever done that. On the plus side I have yet to find indication that she is dishonest, which says a lot.

[9YearLurker]

What are you talking about? Palin decreased the size of her state budget over the years she was in office. Tell me about another modern governor who has accomplished that.

[Vision]

As Sarah repopulates the senate with conservatives, we’ll look back and thank John McCain for that “mistake.”

Well said.

[Carry_Okie]

What are you talking about? Palin decreased the size of her state budget over the years she was in office.

The data I've seen take issue with that assertion. Please consult this post.

[rodguy911]

Looks like they don’t call him “Dick” for nothing!
And that’s what I will call him from now on!!

[rodguy911]

remember rodguy’s rule.First we take out the commies than the rinos.Has to be in that order.

[Theodore R.]

Picking Cheney for VP was also a mistake. Nearly everything the GOP has done for years is a continuing mistake.

[Just mythoughts]

OK I am late to this ‘thread’. BUT dick Cheney you have NO clue what is a mistake.... queers do not or will never be ‘married’ in the eyes of the Heavenly Father..... I am so done with the best that ‘conservatism’ keeps getting as being like that dead lion that is far less than a live dog.

Cheney you are done, go fly fishing.

[MestaMachine]

You should have asked THEM for a donation to the TEA Party. WE aren’t going to join them, so they should just join US.

[9YearLurker]

Even if the link for that source were good, it wouldn’t cover her years of budget responsibility. Here’s an article with some links that work:

http://conservatives4palin.com/2009/06/governor-palins-budgets-pointing-out-the-obvious-that-shes-got-a-stellar-record.html

[Peter Libra]

I could try to inject a little levity here on Mr Cheney's statement. Using an upper class English accent, which I am not entitled to, I would say this.

It is really absolutely none of my business, but I actually thought that a man such as yourself, was a gentleman. How wrong I was. So jolly well go fly a kite!

[mkjessup]

Come off it. You arrived on this thread with insults. Now you see Alinsky around every corner? Funny.

What is even funnier is that if you actually read my first post in this thread at #62, you would realize that there was little insulting about it, but there was one helluva lot of accuracy in the predictions that the thread would degenerate into a hate-fest directed at Dick Cheney, and the only posters that could possibly be 'insulted' are those who cannot abide one non-adoring word about Sarah Palin, their creed is "Praise Sarah or DIE!" and the proof of that is one post which actually suggested that Cheney should not have been allowed to receive a heart transplant unless he agreed to "keep his damn mouth shut" [post #333 by 'GGpaX4DumpedTea'].

And those posters (and they all know who they are) indeed emulate Saul Alinsky's tactics because they assail anyone who dares not praise her, praise her, praise her.

The biggest belly laugh in all of this is that many of these thoroughly indignant and outraged Cheney-haters would be in the Amen corner about what a great VP Cheney had been in the previous administration, IF (as that First Amendment loving GGpaX4DumpedTea said) he had "kept his damn mouth shut". There would be no slurs about his views on homo marriage (which for the record I disagree with), no snide remarks about his daughter, or about 'neo-con wars' or his being a Washington 'insider'.

The fact remains, that the GOP had the wrong guy at the top of the ticket in 2000, that was true then and it's true now.

[1rudeboy]

All I know is that you went postal after that person posted that image (that was not a personal attack, by the way). So shut up.

[mkjessup]

Come right over here and make me, sonny boy.

[hoosiermama]

liz cheney just tweeted sarah is more qualified then Biden and -0 together....ha

[1rudeboy]

Imported gin ok? [snort]

[mkjessup]

To paraphrase an old saying “don’t post checks that your rude ass can’t cash.”

[dragnet2]

Dick Cheney: Picking Sarah Palin for VP Was 'A Mistake'

Oh boy......Let er rip~