Dick Cheney hospitalized for "discomfort", MSNBC reports

Actually, I was referring to the whole being a VP thing in general. They've both had some health scares, and they've both said some pretty stupid things.

 

Any number of Southern governors and senators from the first 65 years of the 20th century would qualify. I nominate Ross Barnett.

 

The Repub VP run has been broadly pathetic. Bush I couldn't have picked a better personal insurance policy than
"Born On Third Base" S. Quentin Quayle.

 

Outstanding reference there, Groucho. ;D

 

I think it says something about Reagan that he picked HW who was the runner-up in the GOP nomination. And even tried to get Gerald Ford.
HW picks a newbie Senator and W picks Cheney who vowed to never run for President. I'm not saying the Bushes seem to be insecure, but they both could have brought in McCain, but instead chose people who never ran for President before.

 

Reagan was the oldest president ever to take office, so it was only basic responsibility that he would try to get a VP (Ford, and then Daddy Bush) who could conceivably take over the office on Day 1 should disaster strike.

Both Bushes, when they first ran, were relatively young and healthy, so the consideration of an office-ready VP probably seemed less crucial to them.

The VP decision in 2008 -- let's just not go there.

Or, for that matter, the decision-making process which put Cheney on the ticket in 2000.

 

Bush I saw some problems with the conservative wing -- he was worried about being seen as a moderate, so Quayle was a surprise choice that played well with that part of the GOP base.

McCain picked Palin because he was very, very, very much disliked by the social conservative wing. He had to energize the base, and that was a Hail Mary in what was going to be a next-to-impossible election to win. It would have been the equivalent of Bill Clinton picking George McGovern to be a running mate on the left -- someone who plays well with the base, but not necessarily to the vast middle.

 

Actually, it would have been very comparable to Clinton picking Jane Fonda as his VP.

 

But Jane had more foreign policy experience.

 

An update:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/07/grim.php#more?ref=fpblg

and

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2010/07/cheney_recuperating_from_heart_surgery_1.php?ref=fpblg

 

Too bad she didn't get a chance to help the Senate set policy.

 

This doesn't have to do with anything, but while I was looking up info on Steinbrenner yesterday I saw that the NCAA awarded the Boss the Flying Wedge for leadership and service to the NCAA. They also gave it to Cheney - and I have no idea why. Anyone know if he's done anything NCAA related? Hell - at least George W. cheered for Yale.