Posted on 07/29/2012 7:38:46 AM PDT by dirtboy
Dick Cheney has some advice for Mitt Romney on choosing a running mate: Don't pick another Sarah Palin.
In his first interview since receiving a heart transplant in March, Cheney told ABC News, that John McCain's decision to pick Palin as his running mate in 2008 was "a mistake" - one that it is important from Romney not to repeat.
It's subject on which Cheney has some unique experience. He helped Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush lead their vice presidential searches and, of course, served as vice president for eight years. He's also privately offered some advice to both Romney and Beth Myers, who is leading Romney's search for a runningmate, on the process.
Cheney would not comment on what he told Romney and Myers, but he was harsh in his assessment of McCain's decision to pick Palin.
"That one," Cheney said, "I don't think was well handled."
"The test to get on that small list has to be, 'Is this person capable of being president of the United States?'"
Cheney believes Sarah Palin failed that test.
"I like Governor Palin. I've met her. I know her. She - attractive candidate. But based on her background, she'd only been governor for, what, two years. I don't think she passed that test…of being ready to take over. And I think that was a mistake."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
And if McCain hadn’t picked Sarah he would have gone down to an even more humiliating defeat. The only reason he got as many votes as he did was because of Palin.
Palin did not lose the election for McCain. McCain lost the election for McCain.
These clowns gave us all the debt, two wars, and Obama. Go away!
As Sarah repopulates the senate with conservatives, we’ll look back and thank John McCain for that “mistake.”
“she’d only been governor for, what, two years?”
Yeah, Dick. And Obama had been a junior senator for, what, two years? And the liberals were as much in love with him as the hate they generated for Palin.
What’s your point Dick? Pick Jeb Bush?
The GOP-E just cannot stand the notion that they bear the blame for Obama's election. So they demonize Palin, even though she is at the forefront of the Tea Party movement that brought the GOP back in 2010.
...without Sarah, McCain would have lost so badly Obama would have had a SUPER mandate to wreck the country...
Dickie you are great but your GOP-e slip is showing.
What he appears to be saying is “don’t pick a veep who makes you look like the political hack loser you are, like McCain did.”
The mistake was Juan McShame
It’s unbelievable that someone of his intellect can be so thoroughly and completely wrong on such an important subject.
It makes me think I should re-evaluate my estimation of his intellect.
The ONLY thing that boosted McLame’s lame campaign was Palin’s presence.
That’s such an obvious fact that I really have to question the high esteem I’ve always held Cheney in. Maybe I was wrong.
“But based on her background, she’d only been governor for, what, two years. I don’t think she passed that test…”
Hey Dick, how about the Community Organizer And Chief? Lot of experience there huh?
In McCain's case, he needed to make a "splash", but picking someone with minimal experience diluted any ability to attack Obama's inexperience. No matter who he picked he wasn't about to win. Hard to criticize the decision too harshly...
i’m pretty sure the real mistake was W not choosing a VP who was willing to take over the reigns
What he seems to be doing is attempting to shirk any blame the Bush years had for the electoral catastrophes in 2006 and 2008. Politicians like Palin have been proven to be the cure for that.
I respect McCain for his service. But as a politician he’s the president of the RINO’s. America, as great as it is, cannot come up with a leader? Obama, McCain, Romney???? Good grief!!
That’s right ole DC—McLame should have picked your daughter instead. Gay/Lesbo family values would have been the winning ticket on the VP slot in 08. Ask Romney to pick the daughter for VP. Ugghhhhha
The point isn’t, “Obama isn’t qualified so it doesn’t matter what GOP qualifications are.”. The point is, “she wasnt experienced enough in the eyes of the voter.” and he’s right. Whether she’s capable enough or not, it was an argument against the GOP that media could and did run with.
Hey Dick, you’re not supposed to dis the conservatives until AFTER the election. Didn’t you get the GOP-e memo?
This statement served no purpose other than making Cheney look reasonable to lefty elites.
It divides the base. It fires up tea partiers to question the GOP-e. It’s just a bad PR move.
IOWs, don’t pick Susana Martinez?
ABC is once again unable to tell the truth.
The quotes are from Ms. Dicke Cheney of Aruba.
That is utter horsecrap, given Obama's lack of experience - it wasn't an impediment for him to win.
I’d like to hear what Liz Cheney has to say on this subject. Her husband has GOPe dementia. Bush and McLoser are the TWO asshats who fathered Soetoro.
No purpose is served by such whining from Cheney.
Did he have anything to say about how the Republican party went from one of its strongest postions ever after the election to 2004, to one of its weakest positions ever after the election of 2008 - after eight years of Bush and Cheney and Rove, etc.?
I agree; but that says more about McCain's weakness that Palin's strength.
The Cult of Palin cannot understand that a national ticket must have broad appeal. Palin excited the hard right - but, she amused or scared the mushy middle. And the mushy middle is who decides elections.
Dick Cheney is a very good man—and he deserves to have his opinion respected even if some don’t agree with him.
C’mon, folks. We’re bigger and better than the name-calling. Cheney didn’t attack Palin personally; he made a judgement based on the politics.
The long run will show that Palin’s presence in our body politic is a positive—she is helping REAL conservatives gain ground in contests. Her work in these elections (2010, 2012 and beyond) may be more important than anything she could have done as a VP for Juan McStupid.
But from what I have read, Martinez isn't interested. She probably realizes she would get Palin-ized.
But from what I have read, Martinez isn't interested. She probably realizes she would get Palin-ized.
He picked Dole - how’d that work out ? I love Dan Quayle and I love Sarah Palin - it’s just another Pal-in-sult from the guys that don’t do anything but reap the cushy spots from folks that do - like Palin. Love DC too, but left to himself he’s still be pondering if TEA was a good thing for the United States.
Ah, so nice to hear from the GOP-e.
We loved Sarah. She made us come alive. She was our only hope.
She was a princess in shining armor. We sent money because of her.
Alas, she just didn’t have enough to get McLame over the fence.
No one could have done any better.
McLame was not to be president no matter what.
The powers behind n0bama were well underway and is still going strong.
She had more real experience than Obama, which many idiot voters chose instead.
And they fed on the liberal hate machine which has never let up since day one.
But she’s not a polished liar like Obama is, that’s for sure.
Cheney is on the short-list - maybe 3 political figures - who I continue to admire even though he made that kind of statement about Governor Palin. Whatever one’s views about Palin’s qualifications, it serves no purpose to give aid and comfort to the vicious Leftist scum and repulsive careerist RINOs who make a living attacking a courageous American patriot, Sarah Palin.
Cheney can have any opinion he wants, he gets no criticism from me.
It's my hope that Sarah Palin leads the Republican party to winning candidates, at all levels, in November.
Go Sarah!
Cheney is an authority on mistakes because he certainly made more than his fair share, including some real boners, while serving as SecDef under GHWB.
What is amazing to me is that the GOP-e stedfastly ignore that. I suspect they do know it, but are in denial. ‘08 was the last time I voted for a candidate who was “better than the other guy”. They haven’t heard that message yet.
And, once again, I call horsecrap. Palin helped McCain to a lead in the polls, and then McCain utterly botched his handling of the financial crisis. He never recovered, so his handlers stabbed Palin in the back.
If Palin is such a lead balloon, then reconcile your claim with the fact that she has helped so many candidates win elections, and is a much-sought-after endorsement for so many pubbies.
Nominating Romney has reinvigorated the moderates and we’re back to square one.
True, although I don't think Cheney was saying that. In commenting that she was an attractive candidate, he was acknowledging that she was pulling in voters. That does not mean she was ready to be CIC in his mind.
She is on record having backed RINOs at the expense of conservatives.
This proves, beyond a doubt, Cheney’s new heart came form a libTard.
I’ve heard it said the presidency is unique and nobody’s truly prepared for it.
And if anyone is, it’s probably Hillary Clinton, who lived in the White House for 8 years and was married to the President.
So if preparedness is the criterion, Hillary’s the answer.
Surely Cheney wouldn’t endorse her.
But there are other qualities to be considered. Like whether someone’s an American from top to toe and right through to the core. Their life experience, their values, their vision.
And btw, Palin didn’t spend her brief time in the governor’s office doing photo ops and hugging scouts. Nor did she get there by being somebody’s wife. She rose the old-fashioned way: effort and merit.
I like Cheney but this from him is very disappointing.
That was basically my reply as well.
Cheney’s giving lip service to the GOP-E, who have made themselves out to marginalize Palin as well. I don’t agree with every single thing she’s said but they’re all bending to the liberal hate machine poisoning the minds of potential voters for 4 years.
Eh tu Dick?
It would have been so easy for him to give good advice on picking a VP running mate without mentioning Palin at all.
Just seems rude and crude to me.
Screw Cheney. Ran up the debt and 2 idiotic and pointless wars. And I don’t want to get into some long debate about that. I believe they were pointless and idiotic.
So screw him and his neocon bunch.
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