G.W. Bush dead 2005ish, Cheney succeeds; who's he nominate as the new VP?

Thande

Donor
(If the mods think this has the potential to get too hot-political due to it being recent, please feel free to move to Political Chat).

OK, one for the US politics wonkies here. Let's say that a short time after his reelection in 2004, President George W. Bush dies. There's that assassination attempt in Georgia from May 2005--not very professional, but let's say by luck it succeeds. Dick Cheney succeeds as President. But Cheney has a history of heart problems and the US government is going to want him to nominate a new VP as soon as possible. Who?

Cheney's very unlikely to try and run for president in his own right in 2008, so choosing a new VP presents him with a dilemma--this VP might be regarded as the heir apparent for the 2008 presidential nomination, especially given the Republicans' tendency to give the nomination to the sitting VP or last time's runner up candidate. Thus this has the potential to make Cheney himself something of a lame duck and bring him into conflict with the party as a whole. Might he instead choose someone senior, boring and reliable who's not going to seek the nomination either?

(Remember that with the benefit of hindsight, we could see this as a poisoned chalice due to the coming economic downturn, but nobody at the time is going to know that).

And in such a scenario, how do you see the 2006 midterm elections going?
 
Dick doesn't give a damn about elections (ok he does but they're secondary) he's one of the boys from the Nixon White House, loyalty is what matters to him, there is only one guy he'd trust to be his number two, Rummy, hands down no doubt in my mind any per-2006 GWB dies TL, Donald Rumsfeld become Vice-President.
 

Thande

Donor
Dick doesn't give a damn about elections (ok he does but they're secondary) he's one of the boys from the Nixon White House, loyalty is what matters to him, there is only one guy he'd trust to be his number two, Rummy, hands down no doubt in my mind any per-2006 GWB dies TL, Donald Rumsfeld become Vice-President.

I don't know, I get where you're coming from, but this is after Abu Ghraib happened and plenty of people were calling on Rumsfeld to resign (Bush finally got rid of him after the 2006 midterms IIRC). Cheney may be mulish, but that much?
 
More likely he selects Bill Frist, who's experienced, younger and can make a credible WH shot in '08. Allen would be another choice but VA is too swingy for Cheney to risk that seat. If Frist is not interested in running in '08, then that effectively preempts grumbling from the '08 wannabes (same field as OTL) that Cheney killed their political ambitions unilaterally. Not that Cheney would give a rat's ass what they thought...
 
I don't know, I get where you're coming from, but this is after Abu Ghraib happened and plenty of people were calling on Rumsfeld to resign (Bush finally got rid of him after the 2006 midterms IIRC). Cheney may be mulish, but that much?

yes that much, the blow back from the Veep when Bush fired Rummy was epic, the men have worked together for 40 years in 4 White Houses.
 
yes that much, the blow back from the Veep when Bush fired Rummy was epic, the men have worked together for 40 years in 4 White Houses.

Rumsfeld would not want to be VP. VPs are only influential if they have personal access to the President and/or a mandate in a specific policy area (GHWB, Gore, Cheney). Rummy has plenty of both as SecDef, so there's no need for that.
 
Rumsfeld would not want to be VP. VPs are only influential if they have personal access to the President and/or a mandate in a specific policy area (GHWB, Gore, Cheney). Rummy has plenty of both as SecDef, so there's no need for that.

I can't see him picking any one less, and by 2005 Dick and Rummy can see the writing on the wall for Rummy as SecDef, its his last chance to have a big nation job, plus Dick would want him as a 24/7 sounding board with out a real job, and with that view what the fuck would Bill Frist want it?
 
I can't see him picking any one less, and by 2005 Dick and Rummy can see the writing on the wall for Rummy as SecDef, its his last chance to have a big nation job, plus Dick would want him as a 24/7 sounding board with out a real job, and with that view what the fuck would Bill Frist want it?

Frist is retiring in '06 anyways, and with both Majority Leader and VP on his resume it helps if he wants to run in '12.
 
John McCain as new VP?
:confused:

Definitely not. McCain's age and health rules him out, if not the fuss the GOP base would kick up if he was appointed. Cheney's VP would have to be someone younger than Cheney himself, in good health and electable for the 2008 presidential election (since, as Thande said, the Republicans have a tendency to nominate the sitting VP or the last runner-up).
 
Tom Ridge - he's prominent and seen as important, and can step aside from his current job OK

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
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