In California, Choosing Cheney Is Taking a Chance

Dick Cheney won’t help George W. Bush carry California. He won’t help the Republican candidate become president. But he would help him be president.

That seems to be the consensus.

So maybe, some GOP operatives say on second thought, Cheney can help Bush in California. He can reassure voters about the Texas governor’s ability to perform as president, and that there’s a capable backup ready to instantly assume the nation’s leadership. Moreover, the former Wyoming congressman is a Westerner who understands California problems, like water.

Hold on, Democrats quickly interrupt. Do Californians really want a hard-right conservative advising the president, let alone standing in the wings? He doesn’t exactly fit the California voter profile.

As a congressman, Cheney was so opposed to gun control he voted against banning cop-killer bullets and plastic guns that can slip through metal detectors. He voted against federal abortion funding even in cases of rape, incest or when the woman’s life was threatened. He opposed stronger anti-pollution laws; clean water, endangered species.

And maybe he does understand California’s water concerns, but is he sympathetic?

So goes the spinning as the two sides quickly attempt to define Cheney to voters.

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At first blush, Bush’s choice for a running mate seemed practically brilliant. He had a resume that unquestionably qualified him for the Oval Office: White House chief of staff for President Ford, respected congressman for 11 years, defense secretary during the Gulf War.

Even more impressive to insiders, he’s a great guy. Just try to find somebody who dislikes Dick Cheney! He’s respectful, unflappable, loyal, honest. Knowledgeable.

Nonthreatening. A conservative philosophy with a moderate demeanor.

That’s all true, but it’s also Beltway babble. Very few people out here across the continent know Cheney well enough to fully appreciate his character and personality. He’s a TV figure--a pleasant one, for sure--with a past voting record that Democrats already are passing around.

And now there are some questions and doubts.

Did those far-right votes emanate from “in his heart”--a favorite Bush idiom--or were they the exigencies of Wyoming politics? Some of both, no doubt. Cheney probably can explain. But is that really what Bush wants his running mate to be talking about between now and election day?

“It would have been helpful in California if Bush had selected a woman, an ethnic or somebody pro-choice,” says a Republican campaign consultant, speaking anonymously. “The [GOP voter] base is already there for Bush. They’re energized. He could have pushed the envelope.”

Maybe it’s a sign that the rumors are correct: Bush really is writing off this state, where he consistently has trailed Vice President Al Gore in polls. The Bush camp heatedly denies it and points out there’s a $1-million TV ad campaign now running in California.

The thinking among politicos is that California is Gore’s to lose--and he’s capable of doing it. He suffers from the wince factor: He comes on TV and viewers wince. Do they really want this guy in their living rooms for the next four years?

But for Bush to win in California--and clinch his election--he must run all-out. That means lots of personal campaigning and spending at least what losing Republican Bob Dole did in 1996, more than $10 million.

Bush’s California campaign commitment probably will not be decided until after the conventions, Republicans say.

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One thing is certain, however. We can expect broadsides at Cheney like this one from Garry South, Gov. Gray Davis’ political strategist and a Gore California coordinator:

“It’s a really unimaginative, retro, self-defeating choice. Look at his voting record and it’s about as garden variety right wing as you can get . . . with a kindly face.”

And from the other side, comments like this from longtime Republican analyst Tony Quinn: “He looks like a grown-up. He sure doesn’t look like Dan Quayle. He’s absolutely a plus for California. He’s someone with substance, not a right-wing yahoo.”

Says veteran political consultant Stu Spencer, who became a Cheney admirer while running Ford’s 1976 campaign: “A class act. Decent. Core values. Never forgotten his roots. Able to work with all kinds of people. . . . “

Can he help Bush in California? “Don’t think so. I don’t see him as a plus or minus in California. George W. has got to carry California himself.”

That’s probably the best Bush can hope for from Cheney in this state: Be a wash.