So do liberals need a Cheney?
[Cheney has] revolutionized the office of the vice presidency, and potentially established a new paradigm for the role. First, he has exercised powers vastly exceeding the formal constitutional functions of the office or those exercised by any of his predecessors. Secondly, not seeking higher office himself, he has been completely unfettered by concerns of future electability, legislative record, or popularity. Cheney has spent six years exerting outsized influence and a hard-line ideology, virtually all under the radar, answering to no one other than the president himself. While a solid majority of Americans disapprove of his job performance, the base of the Republican Party adores him, packing his fundraisers and tuning in every time he surfaces to chat with ideological brethren like Rush Limbaugh or Brit Hume. Given Cheney's personality and ideological orientation, he has of course done what many Democrats and independents view as tremendous damage to the country. The other way to look at it, though, is that he has assiduously and effectively implemented the agenda of today's conservatism. Which raises a question: What if the next vice president sustained the Cheney model -- but as a progressive?
That would be a good thing. But I think a liberal Cheney may be hard to come by. The only reason Cheney can operate with such absolute freedom from political constraints and presidential speculation is that the press and most of the Republican base have decided Cheney can't run. Not that he shouldn't, or that he wouldn't win, but that he can't. His four heart attacks have effectively disqualified him from the presidency. So a liberal version of Cheney need be more than just politician who disavows presidential ambitions -- see Gore for how much effect repeated denials have on media speculation -- he needs either serious health problems or really advanced age. He needs to be obviously incapable of seeking the presidency, not just likely to lose. And that rather narrows the field.
In the article, Alex suggests John Podesta and Al Gore as possibilities. I'm not sold on either. Sadly, the guy who I think really would fit the bill -- what with his legislative know-how, multiple strokes, age, and attack dog abilities -- is Harry Reid, but he's not exactly expendable at the moment. Other ideas?
