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11/09/2005 Archived Entry: "Cheney to resign?"

My ear perked up last night as a commentator -- on CNN, I believe -- speculated on whether Dick Cheney will resign as VP in the near future. There was the usual rehashing of the Plame-leak scandal, the Halliburton-profits scandal, the non-existent WMD scandal blah-blah-blah... (BTW, my "blahs" do not denigrate the importance of the foregoing issues but merely indicate personal overload at hearing yet another commentary on them.)

Then I heard something different: speculation that Cheney may step down in order to facilitate and showcase a replacement who has a ghost of a chance of winning for the Republicans in the next Presidential election. After all, Cheney's resignation would be a popular move for Bush and could be somewhat cloaked/softened by statements concerning his notoriously poor health. A new VP -- a popular VP -- would have a few years in which to woo the American public...particularly the increasingly disenchanted conservatives. But who would be popular enough? The Democrats have torpedoed Frist. Lott's out of the running for similar reasons. Jeb Bush is not possible if only because a Bush/Bush White House might cause riots in the street. (Hmm...on the other hand, Robert Kennedy was accepted as Attorney General.) I don't think the Republicans are imprudent enough to run a woman, tho' the thought of Harriet Meirs being appointed is almost irresistible. The field of likely candidates is looking a little bare.