Dick Cheney's Bogus Journey

Let’s start with the background information. Back during the summer, George W. Bush his friend and man running his VP search, Richard Cheney, as his running mate. Dick immediately went to Wyoming (changed his non-voting registration) and declared his home there as place of residence. (He has a home in Texas, and in McLean, VA in an area off of Dolley Madison Blvd. called Madison of McLean). Monday, a lawsuit was filed in court saying Cheney still lives in Texas.

The twelveth amendment of the constitution says:

Is Dick Cheney’s [non-]voter registration in Wyoming enough to declare him to be a non resident of Texas? If not, than who will Texan electors choose? Gore-Lieberman? Bush-Lieberman? Bush-Gore? What would be the ramifications of that? Also, what is this clause supposed to prevent? Why is it in there?

Bush could win the Presidency, but Cheney could be declared ineligible to be VP, making the office vacant and triggering the 25th Amendment. Perhaps the Senate could settle it, perhaps the Supreme Court would have to. Just one more thing we don’t want to get into.

The rule was put in to keep the fledgling nation together - the smaller states feared Virginia would end up running everything, and the rule forced some geographic balance. In fact, to help keep New England from breaking away, George Washington of Virginia picked John Adams of Massachusetts as his VP (but kept the office from having any real power, since Washington mistrusted Adams). I agree that the rule is anachronistic now that national unity is no longer a question.

At worst, Cheney might be ineligible to have his votes for VP counted from Texas. However, that would create a situation where there would be no majority. Then the Senate would choose. Presumably, the Senate would then opt to pick Cheney even if it were divided 50-50, provided that Bush was president. Somebody on the Democratic side would say, “What’s the point, let’s let Dick have the job.” It’s not like Cheney is unpopular with other Senators.

If Bush ends up losing, the point is moot.