Vice-President Cheney's Reluctant Campaign Trail Appearance

Strategic Insights -

On the campaign trail, US Vice-President Dick Cheney is accompanying his running mate Sen John Kerry, but with a show of reluctance. Yesterday, Cheney arrived early at a fund-raising breakfast in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but departed 20 minutes later, leaving attendees wondering what had transpired. This contrasts with the visible family man image presented by Sen John Edwards and the Kerry clan, as the Cheneys try to match these warm moments on the campaign trail.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Vice-President, Dick Cheney, showed a reluctance to engage with the crowd, arriving early and departing quickly, and preferring to read from a script in a flat monotone.
  • This behavior was in stark contrast to the warm family man image presented by John Edwards and the Kerry clan, as the Cheneys attempt to replicate these moments on the campaign trail.
  • The Vice-President's wife, Lynne, emphasized his small-town background, highlighting his blue-collar roots, while also emphasizing his union ticket.
  • Mr. Cheney utilized his speech to criticize Sen John Kerry and Sen John Edwards for their vote authorizing force against Saddam Hussein, citing they had seen detailed intelligence and called him a threat, but now try to have it both ways.
  • He attributed the widespread agreement on the threat from Iraq's former dictator to include the administration, the Congress, and the UN Security Council.
  • He stated that the President was right to look at the same information the Democrats did and come to the same conclusion, now they are trying to rewrite history for their own political purposes.
  • The war and the effects of the setbacks in Iraq were expected to be important issues, but local Republican supporters believed the setbacks would not damage the Republican vote.
  • The Vice-President's grassroots support was strong, with many present supporting his assertion that "terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength; they are invited by the perception of weakness."

Statistics:

  • Sen Kerry and Sen Edwards both voted yes to authorise force against Saddam Hussein in Congress.
  • Prior to the war, Sen Kerry described Saddam Hussein as a threat to the United States, and said this was always his position on Iraq.
  • Sen Edwards called Iraq, 'the most serious and imminent threat to our country' in an interview on TV.
  • 500 guests paid $500 a plate to hear the Vice-President at the fund-raising breakfast.
  • The Per Wilhelm Photography archive is cited in the The Jerry & Sally Kane papers, but without providing dates.
  • The sources include
  • The Independent, Sunday, 15, 2003
  • and New York Observer

New York Observer