"advanced by prominent Democrats". "drug addiction". This appears to be Dems trying to get Bush to dump Cheney or discredit the move when (if) it actually happens.

Condaleeza Rice would not be a great choice, but I doubt that it would effect the race in a negative way unless it became an issue of whether she was lesibian or not. I say she is not a great choice because she hasn't done anything particularly impressive that I've seen.

First off I dislike McCain and don't want him to be President, however it would seem that he might help Bush in numerous Blue States. California, Illinois, and some others. Surely he's capable of making amends to Bush and becoming a loyal running mate.

So why not McCain. Why wouldn't McCain accept?

Bush won't ask--McCain is a retrograde figure. Condi is the future of the party.

Condi is unproven as a politician and the last thing we need in this election is a disastrous showing from her. She'll make a nice replacement for Colin Powell, and maybe after that, she'll have a future in elective politics.

J.C. Watts is a proven winner and an articulate conservative. He'd be a much better choice, and the boost in Oklahoma would probably ensure that the Nickles Senate seat remains in GOP hands.

One of the glaring weaknesses Edwards has is on foreign policy and national security. Dumping Cheney and picking someone with little foreign policy experience (like Watts) would remove the GOP's arguement against Edwards.

Just as all Republican presidents in the media over the past 75 years are either dumb or evil, all Republican vice-presidents (save for Bush's father) who are part of a ticket seeking re-election are subjects of the dumping story in the press -- Nicon in '56, Agnew in '72 (OK, maybe here it would bave beem a good idea), Quayle in '92. And of course, Rokefeller was dumped by Ford prior to the 1976 election, though in that case it wasn't due to the press chatter, but to the fact Ford would have lost the nomination to Reagan if he had kept Nelson on the ticket.

John:

Of course all of them should have been dropped.

"Of course all of them should have been dropped"

Especially Nixon in 56. A complete disaster for Republicans in future years. An obvious liberal who left us with what? Pat Buchannan, EPA, Affirmative Action and more little gifts that keep on giving.

Although, I have some affection for Spiro Agnew.

IF and I think is an IF as big as Manhattan, this comes to pass..I dont think it would be Rice, despite the fact that she is bright enough to president, it won't be McCain either..too much water under the bridges of SC.

My guess is it would be Powell. He wants to step down, BUT he didnt want to serve anyway. An order from the President would make the old soldier in him respond, he would peel off as much of the Blue State vote and more than Rice. Many moderate to conservative Dems I know who like Bush say they view Rice as a hard-liner, part of the Presidents clique of "bad advisors"...Powell they trust and admire, even.

He's an old Bush hand, he'd have Cheney's endorsement, and he'd have the military credentials and experience that Edwards just doesnt have. He doesnt build for 2008, but Bush doesnt seem worried about that anyway.

Cheney to the CIA is a great idea but that post will probably be filled before November, possibly by Guilianno or Nunn. However Bush could suprise us in September with Cheney to the CIA.

Other than Cheney, Romney would be my choice for V.P.. Forget the experience; we need an articulate spokesman for our positions.

I think it was Bill Rusher we said:

'I never liked Nixon until Watergate'

LOL.

I meant '..Rusher WHO said'

@^$%$ typos!

The problem with dumping Cheney right now is that while it might produce a VP candidate with lower negatives and give the GOP a head start on picking their 2008 nominee, part of Bush's support with the public is based on the belief that he doesn't waffle, like some other politicians currently in the news.

For Bush to vacillitate on his VP pick at this late date would damage that image, and you know the press spin on this wouldn't be how great the new running mate is, even if he picked McCain. The mantra would be "Bush campaign in panic mode" combined with allusions to dad's move to try and have James Baker save his campaign and the discussion of dumping Quayle in 1992.

It would have been a good move in January, when everyone was focued on howlin' Howard, wacky Wesley and the rest of the Fun Bunch. But changing running mates right now would be an overall liability for Bush, and even if Cheney did have a serious medical problem in the upcoming weeks, the tin foil hat wing of the Democratic party already has out the spin in the New York Times today that he would be faking it (heck, even if Cheney died, they'd either say he was faking that, or that Bush had him killed so his oil buddies could stay in power).