New group tries to convince Cheney to run in 2012
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/22/art.cheney1.gi.jpg caption="A new group wants Dick Cheney to challenge President Obama in 2012. "]
Washington (CNN) - A new group wants former Vice President Dick Cheney back in the White House.
The organization - "Draft Dick Cheney 2012" - launched on Friday, and unveiled their new Web site. Their aim: To convince the former vice president to seek the Republican presidential nomination in the next race for the White House. But there may be a major roadblock to the group's pitch - Cheney himself.
"The 2012 race for the Republican nomination for President will be about much more then who will be the party's standard bearer against Barack Obama, the race is about the heart and soul of the GOP," said Christopher Barron, one of the organizers of the Draft Cheney movement. "There is only one person in our party with the experience, political courage and unwavering commitment to the values that made our party strong – and that person is Dick Cheney."
The former vice president has been a frequent outspoken critic of the Obama administration's security policy. He recently suggested that Obama was "dithering" over deciding on adding more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. National polls suggest that the former vice president remains popular among conservatives and Republicans.
Does Cheney want to run for the White House? He was quite blunt earlier this month about whether he had any desire make a bid for the presidency in the next election. At an event in Houston for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who's running for Texas governor, Hutchison was joined by Cheney, who endorsed her bid against fellow Republican incumbent Rick Perry. During the rally, Hutchison yelled out to the crowd "Cheney 2012!" and some one in the audience quickly responded "We need you, Dick!"
Cheney's response: "Not a chance."
Barron says the group hopes to follow up Friday’s Web launch with a more formal structure, which will include building a database and reaching out through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Barron adds that there is no budget set yet, and that the effort is grassroots at this point. He says the group plans on targeting tea party events and plans on building grassroots chapters in key early presidential caucus and primary states including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
–CNN's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
Does anyone else find the irony in a pro-Cheney group calling itself "Draft Dick Cheney", after he applied for and received five [yes, 5]Draft Deferments to avoid military service during the Vietnam War?
Honestly, when I read the headline, I thought it was an anti-Cheney group trying to actually draft the ideological hawk and send him to Afghanistan.
Classic Fail.
Get serious folks, I know you can all do much much better
In the words of Dick's former boss...
Bring it on!!!
Dick will end up mangled and messed up just like the Iraq war.
It's bad enough that many people couldn't foresee the failures of Cheney's ideology. Failure to see it in hindsight really represents a lack of intellect. That said, I encourage him to run as well. It's not like he'll be taking the opportunity away from a talented GOP candidate. If nothing else it will be entertaining.
I guess these people want him to finish the destruction of the country that he didn't quite have time to complete before he left office?
Obama -- Vs. -- Cheney -- 2012.
Ha Ha Ha Ha 🙂
What a Joke......
Like: Usain Bolt -- Vs. -- Humpty Dumpty - 2012 Olympics 100 M.
Ha Ha Ha Ha. 😛
Group GOP: Bring Cheney on..... Let the Race Begin.....
With Palin and Cheney as the face of the GOP, I don't think the Dems have much to worry about. This party is in a free fall.
When I saw the title "Draft Cheney" I was hoping they meant to finally put the little dodger in the army.
DICK cheney's followers are the same caliber of human beings that make up Charles Manson's Family ... insane and wicked.
Dick Cheney represents an administration whose results where mixed at best. Whether you support the Obama presidency or not, the majority of Americans made one thing very clear; it's time to move away from the fear mongering, self absorbed policies that crippled this country. Both parties need to adopt a much more responsive attitude towards the needs of ALL Americans, not just a select few. Mr Cheney bears much of responsibilty for the actions of the Bush administration and is apparently smart enough to recognize most folks in this country would not want to return to his brand of politics.
Probably those folks that work for Haliburton.
Here's a person who avoided the draft into the military to serve our country in time of war, getting 5 deferments.
And why would he accept this draft, because he would not be putting his life in the line of fire, and be more than willing to send other American citizens into combat to die!!!!!!!!!!!
for god's sake if the gop has any hope of ever winning again they absolutely must distance themselves totally from this war mongering, mean spirited, very, very dangerous man. has everybody forgotten that he was the brains or lack of brains behind the bush presidency??
Hopefully he'll be CONVICTED OF WAR CRIMES like the criminal he is. Why haven't we turned this guy over to the international community yet? He's an Orwellian nightmare waiting to happen. Maybe his heart will give out by then. That would be good riddance to bad rubbish.
Wow ..what a short memory some people have...ugh
Maybe the Republicans should go directly to the source and nominate Darth Vader for President...
Draft Cheney? Lets just draft him into the military (finally) and send him to the front line in Afganistan or Iraq with bullseyes on him.
this could be a real problem for cheney.he spent a good portion of his younger years avoiding the draft .and now he does it again. the thought of dick cheney becoming president is horrifying, it would signal the end of the world as we know it. or it could provide the motivation for alot of dissatisfied liberals to begin the new revolution. cheneyis just evil.
That's all we need.
The repubs and teabaggers are certainly desperate!! Can you imagine Satan...er uh Cheney in the White House again?? Very scary.
Has the Republican Party run out of Intelligentsia?
We need someone new with a new perspective. And 5 bonus points for anyone who can tell me what Halliburnton was hired to do and how many other companies were qualified for the same job? people who use the term halliburton like a war cry have no idea what they are talking about.
Dick Cheney?... as in war criminal, Dick Cheney? Really!?
Draft Cheney '12? Why wait? Get him in the army, put a gun in his hand and send him to Afghanistan where he may do something useful for once.