… not that I think this will happen in a million years, barring Cheney’s health becoming a major issue.
How much of an asset/liability is Cheney in a Kerry/Edwards match-up?
I’d be afraid if Bush picked up McCain. He has a lot of appeal to swing voters.
I don’t know how anyone can imagine Cheney leaving being a bad thing, especially when they can easily write him off as health concerns without it looking too bad for them.
But unless there really were serious health issues, what does it say about Bush if he were actually willing to dump a loyal member of his White House to politically combat Edwards? Especially since he’s been on record saying, “Edwards has no experience,” and “Cheney can be president,” etc.
Is Powell Republican?
I dunno. I didn’t say people couldn’t see Cheney being good, I said I can’t see Cheney being good. From my PoV,swapping McCain for Cheney would be a move more positive than negative - your core vote won’t change any, and most swing voters like McCain. So do a lot of Democrats (not saying Dems will start voting for Bush, but…)
Er, yes?
Powell has already definitively turned down running for POTUS or Veep.
So did Edwards, during the primaries. 
Having said that, I do think Powell would turn down the offer for VP.
It would be relatively easy for Cheney to back out due to “health reasons” and not make it look like a gratuitous political move for Bush. And given that Cheney will almost certainly not run for President in '08, there is a certain logic in getting someone in the #2 slot who will. McCain, with his own political aspirations and a strong following among independents, would clearly be a good choice, although he’d probably be a royal pain in the ass for Bush.
Right. Go ahead and listen to the electoral pontifications of a guy who couldn’t even hold his seat against Chuck Schumer during the height of the Republican Congressional ascendency.
I believe that (as elucidator is fond of putting it), John McCain would rather nail his pecker to a tree than be GWB’s vice president. I m sure it’s all McCain can stomach now to play the party loyalist and go thtrough the motions of campaigning for a guy he clearly can’t stand. Don’t forget what the Bush campaign did to McCain during 2000, McCain sure hasn’t.
As for Powell, well, he has zero interest in job, hell, he could be be president anytime he wanted if he just says the word, being second banana to a git like Bush is simply not very enticing. Furthermore, he’s pro-choice, which would cause a lot of conflict among Bush’s base of social conservatives and could prevent them from endorsing the ticket.
It’s not Bush’s choice anyway, it’s Cheney’s. Veep is an elected position just like the Prez. The prez can’t fire the veep. The veep has to resign on his own, and Cheney is simply too mean and evil to quit on his own.
What I’ve been saying all along, though I keep getting pooh-poohed by the “Jeb in 08” crowd. If Cheney did step down, you’d see the biggest Night of the Long Knives ever amongst the Republicans, and someone residing in my very city would be heavily involved.
Diogenes, Bush can’t fire Cheney, but he can certainly have the convention nominate someone else.
I hope Cheney and Bush maintain their embrace as the bad ship Neocon sinks below them. McCain has zero interest in having anything to do with Bush. Powell may have blown what little chance he had at the presidency with his involvement in attempting to justify Bush’s war. The dance card is filled, no more openings until 2008. Unless of course, Cheney dies or something.
I’m sure that the thought of playing second fiddle to GW, or to anyone for that matter, doesn’t appeal to McCain. His ego just couldn’t tolerate it. He likes being the center of attention. Never happen.
Powell doesn’t want his personal and family life scrutinized. He’s made that clear. He was very fond of B41, but he hates B43 IMO.
Well, Powell has already put up with enough crap from Bush and his crew, so I think that the odds of him accepting VP are nil. And I think that McCain would sooner emasculate himself with a spork than toady up to Bush. Of course, I think that Rove has pictures of McCain rogering a kitten, which is why he’s doing ads for Bush right now.
I disagree. I think that, while some die-hard Republican faithful would swallow the line (and others would respect Cheney for “taking one for the team”), they’re not the ones the Bush camp needs to convince. Undecideds would see this as a cynical political ploy, not to mention that it looks desperate and unstable. On balance, I think replacing Cheney would hurt the Republicans’ chances more than it would help them.
I can’t see John McCain as anyone’s Vice-anything. He has a cultivated reputation as his own man. Why would he want to play Second Banana to anyone?
Recently, when a reporter pointed out that his statements were being used in both Bush and Kerry campaign material, McCain responded that this shows that he’s a uniter, not a divider. Agree with his politics or not, ya’ gotta love the guy! 
Well, you could be right, and if this happened in Sept or Oct, you’d certainly be right. And I do agree that it wouldn’t be a panacea even if they could pull it off. There’s just no telling what unintended consequences could ensue.
A very risky move, for sure.
Well, yeah. But seriously, who on earth would they tap to step in?
Although, Ridge seems to be serving no useful purpose right now. But with Ridge you get “just as dour as Cheney, not nearly as photogenic.”
Early Out: While I don’t agree with his politics, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Kinda like Bob Dole. Only younger. With working appendages. And grey hair.
And a wife who doesn’t unsettle me.
I think McCain took himself out of the picture this morning on The Today Show. When asked during the interview what his opinion of John Edwards is, McCain said he thought Edwards was a ‘good choice’ and a ‘good man’ and a ‘friend’. Not the sort of comments that Bush wants thrown back at him in a debate.
It’s a shame, really. I would vote for John McCain in a minute. He’s honest, plain-spoken and unassuming.
Wouldn’t Bush firing Cheney be sort of like the guy who answers the door in Oz firing the wizard? Isn’t Cheney pretty much the man behind the curtain?
Bush will not dump Cheney because Cheney is the brains behind the scenes. Bush would need to find someone with the brains of Cheney and who totally supports the Cheney way of life. The only way to do that is to retain Cheney.
Powell is out of the picture because he said so. He said is is leaving at the end of this term. Powell was also effectively sidelined because Powell want to pursue the diplomatic route while Bush/Cheney wanted military action. Despite his status as Secretary of State, I do not believe Powell is, or ever was, part of the inner circle. Without that inner circle support during the first term, how could he jump to being a VP?
McCain is out of the picture because he said so. McCain has no great feelings for Bush. Despite the current superficial support McCain is providing to Bush, it is more of party loyalty than anything else. There are subtle fundamental differences between both that I believe can never be reconciled. McCain knows he is in a more powerful position with Bush if he remains as a Senator. I’m just wondering what McCain got out of Bush to appear in Bush’s campaign ads. If Bush wins, watch what McCain gets in return. Bush would have to deliver because McCain can stonewall much of Bush’s grand scheme efforts.