Who would Bush pick if Cheney died or became incapacitated?
Hi. It’s Chad once again. Picking a topic today that is a little controversial. But since it might happen, it’s worth exploring.
So Dick Cheney has an irregular heartbeat, as we’ve discovered. Some could say the discovery would be having a heartbeat. But while Cheney is an evil man, he’s still a man.
But he also sits in the VP chair. And his (latest) health scare opens up the door to a question: who would Bush pick as VP should something happen to Cheney?
Any of us could die at any time, but this political cycle is unique on several fronts. A sitting VP is not running for president. The party in power has no clear cut frontrunner.
Would Bush give the nod to a Giuliani or Thompson, giving them a huge edge? Would either of them want to standing next to Bush?
This country went almost 200 years without a process to select a vice president, due to resignation or death. Seven of them have died in office, with the last one being James Sherman in 1912. John C. Calhoun actually resigned on December 28, 1832 to jump to the Senate. Between those times and other instances where a VP took over as president, the VP chair has been empty a lot in our nation’s history.
But thanks to the 25th Amendment, the chair can’t remain empty. Section 2 of the 25th Amendment reads: “Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.” So the Democrats would have a say, though protocol would likely allow them to approve any reasonable pick.
Since the 25th Amendment was approved, we have used the provision twice. Spiro Agnew resigned on October 10, 1973, upon pleading no contest to charges of accepting bribes as Maryland’s governor. Gerald Ford had to be approved by both houses. But given his relationship (he was House Minority Leader) and his acceptability (given the other candidates, including Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush), Ford was an easy shoo-in. And Nelson Rockefeller was also approved by both houses after Ford became president in 1974.
If I were to select someone I’d think Bush would pick, it would be Condoleezza Rice. Not for the significance of being a woman or African-American, but because Bush really thinks highly of her, and he would want someone he valued in that slot. I don’t think he’d pick a current contender, nor pick a caretaker such as James Baker. I’m not saying whether Rice would get approved, but she would be an interesting pick.
November 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Who would Bush pick if Cheney died?…
Dick Cheney’s irregular heartbeat is sparking yet another round of "Who would Bush pick if Cheney died?" In this essay, Condoleezza Rice is the selection. But it could go to Giuliani or Thompson to give them an edge. The Democrats in the Hou…
November 27th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Bob Dole.
(1) He has always wanted to be president.
(2) He can be trusted - in the Jerry Ford way.
(3) He was not involved with the current administration and, upon Bush pulling a Nixon - Dole will issue blanket pardons.
Everybody gets off scott-free.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
I would suggest Adolph Hitler as a good choice, but he’s dead, is he not?
Sorry, I am so full of animosity toward this “administration” that I can’t seem to be civil. Maybe Bush could choose Jeb; he does seem to have a bit of a brain in his head.
Personally I feel that to choose anyone to replace the Big Dick would be the Kiss of Death to that appointee.
Sorry, I am not usually this resentful.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Bush wouldn’t make that decision. The “decider” is incapable of such deep thought. Most likely person my mind would be karl rove.
November 27th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Knowing this administration’s penchant for nepotism I nominate….Jeb bush.
Then a repeat of the 2000 elections and eight more years of hell.
Actually I have long expected this to happen, late next year.
Does anyone see our spineless congress stopping it?
November 28th, 2007 at 1:56 am
Bush chooses extremist, crooked, or incompetent people for his appointments. Rice isnt particularly extremist, other than her knack for rubberstamping anything Bush wants. Crooked? I havent heard of her taking bribes, at least. Incompetent? Think 9/11. My personal opinion of her is that she IS incompetent. So, since she is attached at the hip to Bush, why not make her V.P. At least, the public would know what they were getting. Sigh…..
November 28th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
It’s August 2008. bush falls from his bike and breaks his neck. In a laborarory, somewhere in an undisclosed location, the undersized, though stubornly strong heart of dubya is transplanted into dick cheney. Days and weeks pass as the people wonder why george is no longer seen riding his bike and lighting farts. Then the terrible announcement of his premature demise is announced by president dick on the tonight show. As the nation mourns (technically speaking) the order is given to bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran and Syria and Libya and Los Angeles and San Francisco. Martial Law is declared because of the horrible attacks on American cities! Elections are suspended until the new president is healthy enough to run unopposed on the newly established “one party, one man” ticket.
The media goes crazy speculating on who..who…who will he pick to be vice?
My guess………….the devil himself.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I’ve looked around a bit & I can’t see if there is some sort of time-line for selecting a V.P. How long could it conceivably go vacant?
Hope: Would the Devil come in the form of a Rovian?
November 29th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Anyone read “Wildfire” by Nelson DeMille? It’s a good read. The premise is not all that improbable, given the truly vicious and aggressive tendencies of the current administration. Alwayshope reminded me of the book when she mentioned the bombing of L.A. and San Francisco.
Cheney has atrial fibrillation. It isnt usually a serious disorder, and can be successfully treated in most cases. Of course, Cheney has a history of multiple M.I.s, so his heart muscle could be giving up the ghost. Any sane person, with his history, would step down, spend time with the family, and get their affairs in order. Cheney, however, is so avaricious, and such a control freak, that he is no longer entirely sane. He is addicted to power, and misusing power. I have often wondered if he is getting enough oxygen to his brain. The man is so paranoid and angry all of the time. His reaction to poor old ninny Wolf Blitzer was bizarre. Cheney’s daughter had made a PUBLIC announcement that she was pregnant. Blitzer made an appropriate comment about:” How is your daughter?” and Cheney goes ballistic on him, snarling that questions about his daughter were off limits. Cheney is obsessed with secrecy and closed doors. He is a one man symbol of the sickness of this administration. Damned bunch of dysfunctional egomaniacs. Only another one would want to be associated with them.