There's apparently a faction that wants to Draft Cheney for the 2012 election:
Chris Barron, organizer of "Draft Cheney," emails this morning that he's organizing a write-in vote for the former Vice President at the CPAC straw poll.“We urge the grassroots conservatives who will be attending CPAC to join us in sending a powerful message about the future of our party, by writing in the name of the only person with the experience and conservative credentials necessary to lead our party in 2012 – write in Dick Cheney,” Barron says.
I admit, my first reaction was something like this: OH HOLY GOD IT NEVER DIES, IT CAN'T BE KILLED, IT WILL EAT ALL OUR BRAINS, THE CRAZY, THE CRAZY, THE CRAAAAAAAZY. But I calmed down, took a venti non-fat chai latte (it's like liberal prozac), and now I'm thinking, you know, this is brilliant. Where do I sign up?
Hang with me. Dick Cheney 2012. What could possibly be more lovely? It would be the trial of the century. The 2008 election was supposed to be a referendum on George W. Bush's policies, but that never really panned; since then, I know I've been thirsting for an Obama-Bush showdown. But let's face it, as satisfying as watching Obama grind W. into the intellectual ground would be in the abstract, actually sitting through it would be embarrassing after the first five minutes. It'd still be the equivalent of a 12th grader challenging a Kindgartener to an Algebra duel. Not really fair.
Dick Cheney, though, is an evil genius. Almost no liberal disputes either part of that description. Sure, he's evil -- and he's recently admitted this quite bluntly, in his "yup, I cheerlead for waterboarding" admission of torture guilt -- but he's also pretty darn diabolical about it. Think about it: He didn't break the law; he hired lawyers to make the law mean something different. That takes some brains. Evil brains, sure, but brains nonetheless.
And those are brains that want to be president. Those are brains, certainly, that can't be happy sitting on the sidelines, watching Sarah Palin -- not a particularly tasty brain -- lead a group of hapless tea-bag zombies on a march toward the White House. Cheney's brains can't be satisfied with the legacy that his former boss seems set on establishing: one where, for instance, Scooter Libby didn't get the complete pardon Cheney wanted.
It's certainly obvious the man wants to defend his legacy. Why else would he be hitting the talk show circuit? Why else would his daughter have become deputized into full-time Cheney Protective Duties, duties that have required such mental gymnastics that brains everywhere have recoiled in shock and awe? The goal here must be beyond preservation. The goal, I think, is to be drafted.
And I am all for it. The only thing in the last 2 years that has united the Democratic party is despising Dick Cheney. That shudder I feel when I see his face on television? I know that every liberal, every progressive, every moderate -- every one of us is feeling that. You see Dick Cheney, then you see Barack Obama, and you sigh with relief. Don't you? Heck, this is why I love Joe Biden so much -- for what he's not.
So hooray, Mr. Barron, and hooray, CPAC. Please, please draft Dick Cheney into the 2012 race. Make him your front-runner now. Send him out to scowl and menace crowds in support of your congressional candidates in 2010. Please put him up on more talk shows to discuss the "failures" of an administration that's just nabbed two more senior Afghan Taliban leaders. Please hold court with every journalist in the land and discuss the current economic crisis and debt crisis and the wisdom of the Bush tax cuts.
I can't wait.
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Catherine Forsythe
Writer to the Stars
Emily Holleman
Iron Skillet
Leslie Harpole
old new lefty
Salon.com
Comments
"2012, Obama v. Cheney. Bang, two-term Democratic president."
As to the waterboarding, it is not the same thing as drawing and quartering someone, to be fair, although the Army didn't want to do it for good reason, namely, that once you do that, you lose your ability to complain about other people doing it, even though prisoners of war always get "roughed up" somewhat it would seem like as a factual matter, up to and including summary execution, because you can't just turn off the killing with a light switch.
Having said that, taking people into custody and in cold blood pouring water into their mouth to induce the fear of drowning did result in the execution of Japanese officers after WWII, and is not something that should have been allowed to go very far, if at all.
To be fair to CIA and Cheney, to a point, after 9/11, even someone who is no fan, Ahmed Rashid, Descent into Chaos, does point out that because of the gravity of the intelligence failure on 9/11, and that was a massive strategic intelligence failure, if more understandable than sometimes they get credit for, then, the natural overcorrection was to panic and become concerned, especially given the anthrax and what was known at that point, that there would be a nuclear of chemical attack to make 9/11 seem like a fire cracker. When that fear is in the air, and it was, although that was a mistake, then bad things will be done to make sure that more bad things don't happen, even though that plays into the hands of those doing it, which is their game.
Then again, the American people are spoiled from not, like Moscow, having been burned to the ground in 1812 and almost 1941, just like Beijing was burned to the ground in 1839 and in the 1930's too, which makes us overreact.
I don't think there's much chance of Darth and Dippy hooking up on a ticket, though -- It would be too hard to fit Mephistopheles and Bride of Frankenstein on a bumpersticker.
He is also very ill.
I do not wish on him more ill health.
However, should the stress of a presidential run do him in then he signed up for that.
He already was president for at least four years. Apparently Bush developed a spine much too late during the second presidency and said, "Go away" so he could listen to other advisors. I am convinced that Bush now lives in a very quiet peaceful place from which he emerges at times to either golf or hang out with Bill Clinton who sees someone crushed by the pressure that almost did him in and says "there but for the Grace of God . . . "
Scary scary man that Cheney.
an upgrade.
Cheney, Santorum, Palin ... The fun will never end.
I recently read an article in which the author hoped that Palin would run and WIN the presidency because it would wake up Americans to finally decide what kind of nation we WANT to be. I thought 8 years of Bush/Cheney pretty much settled that question.
And if there was any doubt, consider the debacle masquerading as debate about something masquerading as healthcare in America in 2009 and now.
I said I'd accept it, but only under the condition that I would not have to be compared to Dan Quayle!
Ross gave me the position, saying, "Now you have something in common with Dick Cheney."
Dan Quayle versus Dick Cheney?
As Tom Petty sings, "I can't decide which is worse..." !
The title pissed me off. I was trying to figure out how to stop Palin.
I will have my better 90% call Cheney and have him shoot me in the face if he gets elected.
What I mean is that the propaganda war has raged for so many decades now that there are enough voters unable to understand something as simple as 'cause and effect', and who truly believe bombing the world into submission is the nation's only hope.
I cant think of a more disctructive former VP-ever. He will continue to bang on boogyman politics until he keels over. Sad state of affairs, but he can't handle having lost his juice.
Then, the Bush admin was simply about maintaining power for the sake of power, itself. Not a means to end other than making themselves feel good. Sort of sick.
There were lots of reasons to get rid of Saddam that would have been possible by international law and likely more efficient with less (wasted) loss of life. But Boob, Chummy, and Rumsnuts chose to lie about it.
When the truth comes out, it may be so bad a violation of the US Constitution as well as international law that Obama may not be able to pardon Cheney like he did Ted Stephens.
Put bushpunk in the coffin with the other scumbag.
Love the post title. And enthusiastic YES to his candidacy. By all means, let's make the whole campaign about Republican war crimes, incompetency, inarticulate policies, failure, and secrecy!