"The Administration's Hate Magnet"

According to Peggy Noonan, Vice President Dick Cheney attracts too much hate, consistently enough, that administration officials are privately talking about a replacement. Not because Mr. Cheney is incompetent, but because an election is on the horizon, and George W. Bush will want a successor who will continue his policies, on Iraq and the wider war on terror.

I believe Cheney would be the type to leave without a fight if it came down to Bush asking that question.  But, that’s not George W. Bush. The president rarely, if ever, ‘starts over’, so the only way Noonan’s scenario becomes reality is if Dick Cheney takes the lead and pushes Bush to make the change. The hunting accident alone won’t prompt this, and all indications are that Cheney is moving on with his job, not thinking about an exit strategy. It all comes down to the people around the president and the vice president. Are they strong enough to suggest a veep change to these two individuals who’s opinions aren’t the most flexible? Would they be able to convince Bush and Cheney, who together are the very definition of ‘stay the course’, that for political reasons alone, a shake up is necessary?

It’s doubtful.