Imagine you’re a leading Republican. I know much of the SDMB is having a fit right now. Imagine that you’ve got your eye on the Presidency. Imagine that Cheney resigns through ill-health towards the middle of the year.
Would you be interested in the Vice-Presidency? Even if you weren’t, what if Bush personally asked you to serve?
Would this be a net benefit to your aspirations? Is it too far from the elections to be sure of the nomination? Would you be too tarred with Bush’s brush? Or would you decline and campaign on being a clean broom?
I’d say that if someone had any further political aspirations, they should run, not walk, in the opposite direction when the offer was made. I think attaching one’s name to Bush in a major way would be the equivalent of political suicide for '08.
Though if he offered me the gig, I’d take it. It would be a substantial pay raise, no heavy lifting, and open the doors to the cushy post-office lecture circuit. I expect Shrub to call me about this shortly after Cowboy Bill Watts joins the Communist Party, or when Hell freezes over, whichever comes first.
Interesting debate topic, but why not make it specific. If Cheney were incapacitated, would it help or hurt the presidential aspirations McCain, Giuliani, or Romney to step into the VP slot at this point?
I’d say no, except maybe for Romney. The other two have enough name recognition and political heft to make it w/o so close an assocation wtih Bush. They need to differentiate themselves from him, not align with him. Romney, OTOH, has to do some back pedalling to ensure the conservatives that he’s really one of them.
Exactly. It’s all about name recognition. If you’ve already got it, as does McCain and Rudy, then you don’t need to be VP. However, if you’ve got aspirations and you’re name isn’t known except for the hardcore political junkies or your local area residents then it might not be a bad idea.
Look at Edwards for example. His actual experience as running with Kerry for office doesn’t amount to much. Had he not done that he’d be about the same quality of a candidate as he is now, if you subtracted those months. However, the exposure that he got from that was invaluable. He’s a contender for the presidency now because of that name recognition.
If I were Romney, I’d consider it. If I were Joe Smith, Jr Senator from Hypotheticalia I’d definitely do it.
Not a chance. Bush is an inverse Midas; he turns everything he touches into garbage. Even if I was politically on his side, I’d never consider a close association with him.
It would make a lot of sense for Condi Rice. In fact, right after the '04 election I was thinking it was a distinct possiblity that she would take over for Cheney, who would have to retire due to “health problems”. But she claims to not have presidential aspirations…
All I’d have to do is spend all my time loudly and firmly taking the view opposite to whatever Bush supports. By the time the next Presidential election rolls around, I’ll look like a font of Solomon-style wisdom and win in a landslide.
Am I a leading Republican who has somehow avoided either being part of the Administration or being significantly public about supporting The Decider and his war and his civil rights floutings and his giveaways? If not, it doesn’t matter, one toady is much like another, and none has a future anyway.
If I *am * (which makes the question especially hypothetical, ya know), sure I’d do it - at this point, I’d look like, and with any luck be, part of the solution, not the problem. I’d look like the guy forced upon Junior to start to clean up the mess. Any actual progress would be easy and would look pretty good in primary season.
It’s hardly unprecedented. One example might be Voinovich stepping down as Ohio LG to succeed Kucinich as Cleveland mayor after his complete meltdown of an administration. A few firings, a financial audit, and he was on his way to being Governor and Senator. Why wouldn’t the same be true for the guy who cleans up after Bush?
I’d take the job, but I have no further political aspirations. The cool part would be that I could, like Nelson Reockefeller, then flip someone off during the convention.
OTOH, if I were to suddenly succeed to the presidency under circumstances that would be, at the very least, traumatic to the nation, I would certainly consider my responsibility to be a stabilizing presence and serve a full term.
I agree that Bush has ruined a number of careers. I think Powell was a cinch for Prez in 08 until that disastrous spech at the UN. Condi is tainted as well. By voting for the war Hillary has also dug herself into a hole.
I think that if you could honestly claim to have served competently as VP 2007- Jan 2008, it would stand you in good stead for the top job come 2012, 2016, … or 2044.
I would take the job in a heartbeat. Minor nitpick- it isn’t Bush’s VP, it’s the nation’s and technically the VP does not work for Bush. That nitpick would save my conscience. I’d secretly tape Bush admitting lying his butt off and then after the term was over take the tape to Bob Woodward.
Would it help someone’s aspirations? I doubt it. There was a string from Van Buren to Bush I where no sitting veep was elected president- not a good average.
I think the negative association may be past its damage point now–someone could come in, gain national recognition and experience, and they wouldn’t be responsible for all the mayhem of the last 6 years. They’re coming late to the party, and doing what they can to improve things. I’d take it.
For a second-tier GOP candidate - a Brownback or a Huckabee, say - I think it would be a great move, because it gets you out of the clutter and into the top tier.
IMHO, it would probably hurt McCain or Giuliani, and I doubt it would do Romney that much good either.
And can we forget Condi as a candidate? Anyone who persists in continuing the theme she began last summer with the “birth pangs of the new Middle East” meme is clearly delusional. Here’s what she was saying on that subject just two weeks ago:
Speaking as a Democrat, I’d love to see Condi run for office, any office whatsoever.
