Sticking Up For the CW

I've gotta stop Jason Zengerle and Ross Douthat from propagating some kind of revisionist notion whereby Dick Cheney (in Zengerle's words) "could well benefit from a round of media appearances - because, while his views may be crazy and alarmist, his public presentation of them isn't." Or, as Ross puts it, "Cheney entered this Administration with a reputation for being anti-charismatic but deeply responsible, but if anything the reverse has proven true: When he's ventured out of the undisclosed location, he's actually been a much more compelling spokesman for the Administration than the President, even as he's been associated with many of its more reckless and tone-deaf policy decisions."

This is crazy talk. One's first-glance view of the situation is correct. Steve Hayes is a crazy sycophant. His idea that Cheney could enhance his popularity by speaking more in public is the sort of thing a crazy sycophant would say. Cheney is kept in hiding because even before it became known that his policy judgment was absolutely abysmal, he always looked and sounded like an evil troll. He comes across as the kind of guy who'd vote to keep Nelson Mandela locked in prison. It's obvious from Ross' and Jason' posts, however, that people are beginning to forget exactly how abhorrent he is. More public appearances will cure that fast.