May 14, 2004
HEART CONDI-TION:
The Heart of the Matter: Is Dick Cheney physically a good risk as Vice President? Seven cardiologists weigh in (Howard Markel , June 2004, Atlantic Monthly)
Although our discussions hardly met the rigorous criteria of an opinion-research poll, all seven cardiologists concurred that the subject was at significantly higher risk for premature death from a heart attack than the average sixty-three-year-old American male. (Upon learning that the patient was Cheney, a cardiologist from Boston observed, "It's a pretty impressive history. I had no idea he'd had all this happen to him," and added, "It's a testament to medical science that he's alive.") All seven did note, however, that although the subject's condition—which doctors call "malignant atherosclerosis"—was hardly characteristic of patients in their practices, his situation is not uncommon. They agreed that his treatment regimen was appropriate.Five of the seven cardiologists felt that so long as the subject had no evidence of impaired blood flow to his heart (a condition that would be easily determined by a cardiac stress test), the decision to stay on the job was really a matter of personal choice. But after hearing the blinded case history a Cleveland cardiologist said, "I would first ask, How is he doing financially? Can he retire?" When I told him that the patient was financially independent, the physician said that at a minimum he would advise a major cutback of work hours. In contrast, a cardiologist in Ann Arbor cautioned, "You can do a patient a big disservice by telling him to stop working. As long as he is functioning well, which he is, he should keep working, but under a tight watch by his doctors. He should lose some weight. But as long as his exercise tolerance is fine and risk factors under control, I don't know if he could do much more [to protect his health]."
After finding out that the patient was Cheney, a cardiologist in Washington, D.C., insisted that as long as he passed his medical examinations, the Vice President was "still fit to do the job." When asked if the job itself was a risk to Cheney's health, the cardiologist's only response was "The world is a stressful place." The Boston physician said he would not recommend restricting the Vice President's work activities or canceling his reelection bid, but he did add that since "the vessels used in a coronary-artery bypass graft do often close up over time, it's well possible he'll need a repeat procedure within five years." A cardiologist in Detroit strongly disagreed with those willing to give Cheney medical clearance for such a demanding job. "There is not a simple right answer," he observed, "but when you are in a position where a lot of lives depend on you, it's more than a personal choice."
Even setting aside the idea that Mr. Bush was never likely to keep Mr. Cheney on for the second term--because a man trying to transform his party would naturally be expected to handpick a successor--the fact that we're at war and the vice president's fitness to take over is in question very nearly requires that he be replaced on the ticket. The stability of the Republic is too important a concern to be treated as cavalierly as it was by FDR. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 14, 2004 8:29 AM
While I agree with most of what you say about this topic, don't you think you are reading too much into any grand vision that George Bush may have for the Republican party? Guiding policy from one or two central principles certainly is better than muddling through (like Carter or Clinton or FDR), but it does not equate to some unified political theory. As you would be the first to say, politicians like that usually don't get elected, and are not successful if by chance they do.
Posted by: jim hamlen at May 14, 2004 9:30 AMThis subject has been debated often here. As Jim notes this may be obvious in looking at 2008 but it is not clear that Bush is looking that far ahead. Also loyalty to Cheney or not wanting to make it harder for Jeb in 2008 may lead him to keep Cheney.
Posted by: AWW at May 14, 2004 9:33 AMjim:
No. I think he's been quite explicit about this (Rove too) since he was still just governing TX.
Posted by: oj at May 14, 2004 10:59 AMWouldn't he simply want Jeb to succeed him,no matter who becomes Veep?
Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at May 14, 2004 12:08 PMOJ, the DNC has already invited bloggers to their convention, and apparently the RNC is considering it. If the RNC does indeed decide to invite bloggers, what would we have to do to get you to report on the success/failure of your prediction in person?
Posted by: Timothy at May 14, 2004 12:34 PMThe party bosses seemed to do well by pushing Harry Truman in '44. The boy did all right.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at May 14, 2004 1:36 PMI think you may be right O.J. Hate to see Cheney go, I've always liked him. I'm sure he would get a position from which he could continue to contribute effectively. I don't think Bush throws away talent.
As for Jeb; please ... not another Bush for a while ... a long while. The swing voters would never go for it. Now Mit Romney would be of interest.
Posted by: genecis at May 14, 2004 1:38 PMChris:
I'd argue the opposite, but that's besides the point--the essence of the matter is that FDR took no interest in who would succeed him even though he knew himself to be dying and the nation at war. It is the single most irresponsdile action ever by an American president.
Posted by: oj at May 14, 2004 2:40 PMTimothy:
Get me credentials and I'll violate the state border rule.
Posted by: oj at May 14, 2004 3:01 PMI've always thought it was a little cheezy for doctors to diagnose a patient from afar.
Posted by: pchuck at May 14, 2004 3:57 PMOJ: http://wwwc.house.gov/daily/Application.asp
It's certainly worth a shot.
Posted by: Timothy at May 14, 2004 4:16 PMKate-at-urbanfarmhouse.org, where I found the link, is apparently collecting names of bloggers who have applied for credentials, if you want to let her know.
Posted by: Timothy at May 14, 2004 4:58 PMOJ--"...a man trying to transform his party would naturally be expected to handpick a successor."
Hadn't Bush handpicked Cheney? If not, who did?
Obviously, though, he's not hte successor, if that's what you mean.
Posted by: jsmith at May 15, 2004 12:34 AMI'll be happy as a hog in slop if Rice does get on the ticket, but I'm also willing to give you odds if you'd like to put some money behind that proposition.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at May 15, 2004 1:06 AMObviously not to succeed him.
Posted by: oj at May 15, 2004 7:41 AMBush - Rice would be formidable as a ticket. She's conservative, she's led in War, she's loyal, good looking, articulate, young, plays a mean pie-anna -- self-made, serious, and (bonus) she is African American and she's a she. Now, I now we're not supposed to care about the last two as they are not qualifications, but shoot, boys -- that'd just about make the Democrats gnaw off their own legs. That the Republicans were the first party to get a black woman elected into the White House. Shoot! Brown sugar that, Billy Boy. They wouldn't be callin' him "our first Black president" after 2008. Ain't no amount of saxophone lessons gonna make him look good standing next to Hillary running against Condi in 2008. She'll become known as "that big, mean ol' white lady." Just thinking about them debating gives me goose pimples. Crisp, melodius and cogent versus that big mean ol' white lady talking to everyone like they're in the third grade whilst making no sense.
Posted by: georgie at May 15, 2004 10:34 AMI will that finding these doctors willing to diagnose from afar makes me a tad uneasy. Shades of Fact Magazine in 1964, which gathered hundreds of psychologists, none of whom had even seen Barry Goldwater but all of whom were willing to declare him mentally ill. As far as I know, the shrinks' political affiliations were not recorded, but one can guess.
Fact Magazine went out of business shortly afterwards, so at least some good came from the enterprise.
Posted by: John Barrett Jr. at May 15, 2004 10:38 AMWhenever Cheney goes out of sight for any period of time, I imagine that they have hooked his disembodied head up to a life support system a la "Futurama".
Posted by: Robert Duquette at May 15, 2004 12:54 PMI am a charter member of the Dick Cheney fan club. I do not think that Bush will or should replace Cheney on the ticket now. It would be too much a sign of weakness and of caving into his media enemies.
I do think that it would be wise to replace Cheney well before 2008. To that end. He could retire after the adjournment of Congress in 2005. Bush could then nominate his sucessor. (assumming congress is well in hand and behaving) who could be confirmed as VP and use that platform to begin the 2008 campaign.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 15, 2004 1:24 PMChris & OJ: Let us not forget who Truman replaced on the ticket in 44. Henry Wallace was a left winger with ties to communists. If he had succeded to the presidency, it could have been a disaster of World Historic proportion.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at May 15, 2004 1:28 PM