More questions
by Jack GrantI wish I could take credit (given my native contrarianism myself) in asking these questions, but since I have been too busy to pose them, I will repeat what James Wolcott asked:
Why has Dick Cheney been allowed to be secret-agent vice president since 9/11? Everyone foolishly accepted that he needed to be in an undisclosed location in case of terrorist attack, but there hasn’t been a terrorist attack and Cheney has used the 9/11 moment as a permanent opaque bullet-proof shield between himself and accountability on everything pertaining to his office. Has there ever been an administration where the vice president was more aloof, arrogant, and stealthier than the president himself?
A reminder:
He’s an elected official, which he seems to have forgotten, as has the press, as has the Republican Party, as have the American people.
The incident in of itself would be inconsequential if the administration was viewed as an entity to be trusted.
So…
Think about the reaction, and more importantly, the reasons underlying the reaction.
Don’t resort to partisan talking points, look at the “why” both of the reaction of those you don’t agree with, and the gut reaction you experience.
THINK.
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after the past couple of days I am beginning to think that he is an alcoholic and they keep him out of the way on purpose.
By stevetalbert on 02.16.06 07:43
I’m thinking back to when I was a kid up to recent times. I don’t really remember any VP being really prominently in the public eye except for the year they were the ‘heir designate’. Even Al Gore was pretty invisible lots of the time. Dan Quayle? Did he do anything other than make the potato gaff(I personally do spell it with the e at the end usually, but I trend toward trying to use the English English spellings anyways, like colour, and Moslem, Quran, etc) or the really bad Latin America joke or the Murphy Brown faux paux? Bush the elder when he was VP to Reagan—not remembering him doing a whole lot that got lots of attention.
ANd Cheney has gone on trips abroad in public(remember how he was made fun of for going to a funeral in Europe in a parka while wearing boots while all the other dignitaries wore trenchcoats and wingtips?). He has gone out and made speaches(here’s a link to all the things he’s done as VP http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/news-speeches/). I’m having difficulty to finding similar things for Bush the elder, Gore, and Quayle(lit search is not my strong suit, I usually wind up hiring an undergrad or a librarian to do it). But looking at that list doesn’t show me someone in hiding.
Are we dealing with perceptions as opposed to facts here(it’s an honestly offered question, not a scolding.)?
By ry on 02.16.06 20:35
Ry took some of the words from my fingertips. I can’t remember when a Veep has had so much attention in general. Are they discriminating against him because of his age? What duties has he shirked that brings on this particular question?
By Barb on 02.17.06 19:14
After more reflection I have this to add. We’re where we are because it’s become a game where it’s about power for the sake of power. ‘War is to important to be left to generals’ type situation—-becoming so narrowly focused on one aspect and ignoring the total. And everyone is covered up to their eyeballs with shit over that. Everyone.
By ry on 02.20.06 16:16
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