During an interview that aired on ABC Sunday, former Vice President Dick Cheney said that Senator John McCain made a mistake by choosing Sarah Palin as running mate in the 2008 Presidential election.
“That one I don’t think was well handled,” Cheney said. “The test to get on that small list has to be, ‘Is this person capable of being president of the United States?’”
Cheney said that the main question one has to answer when choosing a running mate is whether or not the candidate is prepared to run the country. This question should not be overwritten by the candidate’s gender, ethnicity or their personal background.
“I like Governor Palin,” Cheney said. “I’ve met her. I know her. She – attractive candidate. But based on her background, she’d only been governor for, what, two years. I don’t think she passed that test … of being ready to take over. And I think that was a mistake.”
Cheney was responsible for creating a list of running mates for President Gerald Ford back in 1976 and for President George W. Bush in 2000. Cheney also said that he would be called by politicians requesting him to tell the press they were on the list of possible running mates so they could increase their chances in other races.
“But that was the big list,” Cheney said. “It was easy to get on the big list.”
