Another possibility is that Bush took a tip from his father and intentionally chose a Vice President who he knew most people would find unthinkable as President. A little insurance against impeachment.
I think that was Nixon’s plan too but Agnew screwed it up by getting caught for his own crimes.
I’m a bit curious as to why the OP’s questions comes up now, several years after all that.
Anyway, several posts have already suggested that Cheney chose himself to be the VP; and perhaps that he meant to all along, and never had any intention of choosing anyone else; and that his VP-search was just a charade all along.
That’s exactly what I’ve always believed, but I’ve suspected one thing more: That Cheney and Bush had a deal, right from the start. And (without any real evidence) I’ll even suggest a more cynical deal I suspect they had: I think Cheney said to W: Let me choose myself as your VP, and I’ll let you be Prez.
So maybe the OP’s question really should have been: What would the Country, the World, and Everything be like today if Cheney had chosen somebody other than W to be his President?
(Confession: With respect to the W administration, you can see that my cynicism transcends all rational boundaries.)
Unlikely. Prior to Sept 11, 2001 Cheney was pretty well regarded. In fact, he added some gravitas to W’s not so gravitas-y image.
I sound delightfully nefarious.
I was prompted, actually, by the recent article in the Times, which got me wondering who else Bush had considered for a VP. Not much info on that, as it turns out, but I then started wondering What If.
I suspect that if Bush had pick McCain* that it would have been a great improvement. He was far more honest, less evil and more fiscally conservative then Cheney. He probably would not have pushed W and the world into the war against Iraq. He would not have pushed for the authorized use of torture. Of course he probably would have been far weaker a VP then Cheney. So who knows if it would have really made that much of a difference. The Puppet master would probably have still pulled many of the same strings.
** (old tradition of taking the #2 from the primary, much as Reagan took on Bush the Elder.)*
Cheney would have been a competent president had the need arisen. I would have violently disagreed with about 95% of everything he did or said, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have done the job in a professional and efficient manner. I mean, it’s not like he’s Sarah Palin.
I dunno…I think a bullet in the face would be pretty persuasive.
We would not have invaded Iraq.