Is Cheney helping or hurting the GOP?

Democrats glad to hand him the mic

Democrats are thrilled. The former vice president left office deeply unpopular, and the more air time he fills, the more he steers conversation to the past and away from efforts by Republicans to reinvent themselves “Picking a fight with Powell? Is he daft?” asks Democratic strategist Peter Fenn.

In April, the CBS/New York Times poll found 19 percent of respondents viewed Cheney favorably. Powell had 54 percent favorability in October, the last time CBS/NYT asked about him. Powell endorsed Obama for president.

Even if Cheney’s approach to retirement doesn’t necessarily square with his party’s long-term agenda, some Republicans see little harm this early in the election cycle.

“I think Cheney makes a very powerful argument on behalf of their administration's policies and what he thinks is right,” says Saul Anuzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. “Many in the media like to demonize Cheney, but he has served our country well, and although in the short term [he] may be a PR problem … I think overall, [he] is helping shape the debate.”

In addition, future events could alter assessments of Cheney’s critique.

“If it appears that the Obama administration has made some big error on national security, at that point, Cheney’s criticism might not look so bad,” says Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif., and a former Republican operative. “If Obama plays a flawless game, Republicans won’t have much to work with in any case.”

The Cheney effect

Cheney defenders argue that the former veep has already had an impact. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might not be taking so much grief over the question of what she knew about waterboarding and when she knew it had Cheney not focused so much attention on the issue. Cheney supporters also see the influence of the ex-veep’s arguments in Obama’s new opposition to the release of photos depicting abuse of detainees by US authorities overseas.

But Cheney can’t ride this horse forever.

“If he is still the most prominent voice in this debate three years from now, then that’s a big problem,” says Mr. Schnur.

Still, he adds, “if others do come forward to take up this line of argument, most people probably aren’t going to remember that it was Cheney carrying this banner for a few months back in 2009.”

So far, though, Cheney is showing no signs of retreat. On May 21, he will speak at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington on “keeping America safe.”

[Editor's note:

------

Related:

Cheney takes Limbaugh over Colin Powell

Cheney supports Bush for president

Cheney to Obama: Release more memos

Previous

1 | 2