But . . . but if Cheney resigns, then we’ll have John Ashcroft running the country! (Shudder!)
I didn’t read the Parade Magazine piece, but it’s utter lunacy to think that Cheney would wait until after the convention to resign. The whole point of a modern-day convention is to showcase your ticket, not to have one of the guys you nominate discover a month later that he’s too feeble to serve. Yeah, that’s just what Bush wants in the middle of his reelection campaign–controversy over a new running mate and questions as to why his previous running mate deceived the country about his health.
Ain’t gonna happen, folks.
Speaking of PA pols, I’m surprised Tom Ridge’s name hasn’t surfaced in this thread. If the 'pubbies are looking for a future presidential candidate, they couldn’t go too far wrong with him, as his name is nationally-known, he has served as a governor (as have four of the last five Presidents), and AFAIK he doesn’t have any major skeletons in his closet.
There’s a lot of strong arguments to support a Cheney resignation for “health reasons”. I started a thread about this a few months ago.
Powell would be my choice, but he has liabilities as well, mainly that he won’t be a presidential candidate. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush wants a lame duck VP. He certainly can’t nominate his brother, but he probably wants to leave an openning for him to run in '08 (against Hillary).
Why is everybody putting “health reasons” in quotes? I didn’t see the Parade article. What reasons would Cheney have to resign, other than health reasons? Is he just sick and tired of being VP? Is he afraid of being president, if and when? Does he think he has become a liability to Bush’s shot at a second term?
Cheney is far more likely to get rid of George W than the other 'way 'round.
If George got serious…
I’d better not say what I think Cheney’d do, except that Cheney would be needing a Vice President, and George wouldn’t need nothin’.
Brian:
Kind of like when someone quits their job “for personal reasons”. When they drop out of politics to “spend more time with their families”. Get it?
But Cheney really does have health problems. If he had another heart attack tomorrow, I think that’d by far be the most likely reason for him to quit. The quotes imply it’s a euphemism; I don’t think it is. I think he stays unless something catastrophic happens. He’s not like Powell, who’s probably quitting because he’s sick of people embarrassing and overruling him. Nobody does that to Cheney.
Although I do agree he’s not going to run for President in 2008.
Maybe I shouldn’t put “health reasons” in quotes. Cheney does have real health problems. What I’m trying to imply, though, is that his resignation could be convenient for the ticket. IF it happens after the convention, GWB will have a fairly free hand to nominate/appoint someone who he may need to give a boost to his chances–even though said person would not get through a GOP convention without being trashed by the various tribes of ultra-conservatism. Thus someone like Pataki becomes a thinkable option.
Tom Ridge? The color-coded terrorist-threat-level guy? I don’t think he resonates. Plus, he has kind of a mean-bulldog J. Edgar Hoover look, dunnee? The election will not be about policy details, but about who-looks-like-the America-we-want. Ridge doesn’t look like much of anybody.
Ridge was picked before…
Cheney is not going to go anywhere. One of the things that makes Cheney a good VP is that he doesn’t have any aspirations of becoming President and therefore has no issue with following the agenda that Bush has put forth.
However, if he was to leave, a great choice would be Rice. Would the republicans put a woman in the VP slot? Probably not. The only way I see that happening is if the democrats nominate a woman VP as well.
I personally like Rice, but she does not appear to have made any signifcant connection with the American people in general. Her time may come, but not now.
The more I think about it, the more Frist makes sense. He’s got many of the qualities that Bush lacks (has worked well with the other party, is a good speaker, etc.) The Pubs can always get another SML.
Like heck. Ridge is pro-abortion, pro-gun control, and, if I remember right, he voted for Clintons big tax increase. When his politics get a close look-see, the Republican base on a national level may not care for him.
Bush already almost slit his own throat when he said he’d support re-newing the “assault weapons” ban. Guns are still a huge, single issue for quite a few voters in this country. I expect a knock down, drag out, kicking and screaming fight come next summer when that sun-set clause is about to kick in. The fact that it comes about right before an election is REALLY going to heat things up.
He was governor of Pennsylvania. How did he vote for any federal tax increases?
He was in Congress for something like 5 or 6 terms.
Posted by Scott Dickerson:
I don’t understand. Why would Cheney’s resignation be “convenient” for the Bush campaign? It would only mean complicating things more. Cheney is part of the status quo which Bush is seeking a mandate to continue.
I think Condi’s not a bad choice, and I don’t think the Far Right would protest her too much. She may be pro-choice (I don’t know a lot about her stand on that issue) but she’s also pretty open about her Christian beliefs. Heck, within the last month or two she was literally the cover girl on Christianity Today. She’s also smart as a whip and moderate-leaning, not to mention the obvious plusses of being a woman and a minority.
The worst part about Bush/Rice would be you would still have to vote for Bush to get Rice.
Link to the CT article on Rice.