If so, when? And who will replace him as veep?
I’m going out on a limb with: Yes, 2006, and Sen. George Allen.
Just got a hunch that the PTB are starting to see him as too much of a liability.
No. I think he’s too arrogant. He’d have to be thrown out, and I don’t think the Prez would do it unless his back was against the wall.
If you count death as stepping down, then yes. If not, no. The man has no shame and will outlast all attempts to oust him.
If he dies, GWB will find somebody even worse to replace him. Who that would be, I have no clue, but it will make the SCOTUS nominations look brilliant by comparison. Maybe he could persuade Newt Gingrich or Pete Rose?
I vote yes, he will retire gracefully, maybe for health reasons, in order to make way for Vice President (and Presidential hopeful) Condi Rice.
I think a switch for Condi is pretty likely. I’m sure that the Republicans would love to able to scoop the Democrats with the first female president and the first non-white president. Plus, Rice just strikes me as someone who’s been marked for a presidential run. And giving her a couple years as veep would put her in a better position politically than just being Sec of State would give her.
No. Cheney is the PTB, and he’s worked his whole career to get to where he is. I’m sure he still has things he wants to accomplish, and he’s not going to quit now as a favor to Rice or Allen.
You’ll pry the Presidency out of his cold, dead hands.
Not as long as he breathes. Or if Bush stops breathing, he’d take the promotion.
My dad is hoping hard for this to happen this year, because he thinks it’ll have the liberals shitting bricks over the possibility of her running in 2008 with some solid executive branch experience. 
Personally, I see the odds of this happening about 50-50 mostly depending on his health. Although, given the media circus the hunting accident has become, it seems more likely he’ll bow out. It’s not a good reason, but it’s a nice excuse if he wanted one.
With all due respect, no. Cheney is certainly worth tens of millions of dollars by now, but we’re in, what, a $12-trillion economy? There are corporations whose profits last year could’ve dropped by Cheney’s net wealth and never noticed.
The people who run those corporations are the PTB, and even Cheney knows that. They have breaks they still want to push through Congress, and if Cheney’s personal unpopularity is a threat to their agenda, then Cheney will be told he has to step aside, and Cheney will step aside. He’ll be richly rewarded for it, too.
They also want to maximize the likelihood that someone they can trust is in the White House when whatever happens to the Bush Administration, finishes happening. Impeachment’s still a considerable longshot, but if it happens, pretty much anything that can be pinned on Bush will find Cheney too. Best to get Cheney out, and their next fair-haired boy (Allen) in, just in case. And giving him the veep spot now would both make him the heir apparent, and keep him out of a tough Senate race this fall against Republican-turned-Democrat, former Navy Secretary James Webb. Virginians like that sort, and Allen, despite being the incumbent Senator and former Guv, is only ahead 49-37 at this early point.
No matter who’s pulling the strings, nobody can win the GOP nomination without sufficient cred with the Religious Right.
You think people in Southern Baptist churches are going to go for Condi? Not more than lukewarmly. And I’m not thinking in terms of her color; I’m thinking of her as an academic who, in addition to being pro-choice, is just not One Of Them.
Condi might get the veep nod, but only if the PTB haven’t decided by then who they want in 2008. She’s not going to be the GOP candidate.
No. They will have to carry him out feet first.
If that should happen, the veep pick would be somebody who has no intention of running in 2008. Maybe Jeb. 
There is no way that all the Republicans who are eyeing a wide open race will let one of their own get a leg up.
Or is armed.
If Cheney, or the guy he shot, dies…he’s gone.
Otherwise, no.
I think Dick would see it as a demotion. He has more power behind the throne than he would have on the throne.
No.
More like wishful thinking. Of course, you aren’t simply trying to spread the idea, are you?
I’m thinking yes. I’d guess the retirement will come after the 2006 midterm election. They’ll do it in the lame duck Senate if the Dems happen to win control. The Republicans simply don’t want to go into 2008 with a brand new Republican facing a brand new Democrat. Obviously, there is no chance in Hell that Cheney will run.
Still, I’m not thinking Rice. I just don’t think Rice will sell in the Solid South. Especially if the Dems get it together for 2008.
If Rice is appointed VP and loses the Republican nomination on account of the far right it could hurt the Republicans. The GOP isn’t going to pry black voters away from the Dems by rejecting a black candidate.
Well, the right has kind of shown that it really doesn’t need black voters to win control.
But to the OP… Wow. What a prediction to have to make: Which is stronger - the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy who wants to maximize chances of a Republican win in '08 or Cheney’s hubris? I go with Cheney’s hubris and no stepping down no matter what the scandal. They have already shown that the way to deal with scandal when your lapdogs run the house, the senate, and the press is to simply deny it, ignore it, then say “Hey look! Terrorists!”
Didn’t Cheney run one of those corporations? The man has nobody to be afraid of, and he doesn’t work for anybody - people want to get time with him. (If your scenario was accurate, what’s the worst that would happen to him? He wouldn’t get CEO and consulting gigs, and he’d have a smaller lecture audience? I’m sure he finds that possibility terrifying.)
If Cheney believes somebody else could further his agenda better than he himself could, then maybe he’d quit. But otherwise, if he’s healthy, I don’t see it. I think he’s a person (though I’ve said otherwise at times) and as such, he’d want to enjoy the fruits of his labor and do what he wants to do. Why work this long and go this far, and then drop out barely halfway through your time in office?