Sarah Palin Was a Mistake, Says Dick Cheney

You heard it, Willard; don’t pick another Sarah Palin as your running mate.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has jumped into the fray of the 2012 election in full throttle by stating the obvious: the selection of former governor of Alaska as 2008 vice presidential nominee by John McCain was a mistake that can’t be repeated by Romney in 2012.

The statement from the Republican powerbroker is yet another indication that the GOP may be thinking about “doubling down on boring,” as a growing chorus of Republicans seems to suggest Romney to avoid a “flashy” vice presidential pick – such as Florida Senator Marco Rubio or New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (the country’s first Latina governor).

And, despite the fact that his vice presidency was mired in controversy, Cheney has some clout when advising about others candidates’ vice presidential picks. He helped Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush lead their vice presidential searches. And now, he is taking on the same role -- albeit officially -- in the Romney campaign.  

“That one, I don’t think was well handled,” said Cheney about the 2008 selection of Palin -- which blew up on John McCain’s face when the former governor of Alaska went off script and unraveled in a series of media gaffes and mistakes that made voters question her readiness to be president (were something to happen to then 72-year-old McCain). 

“The test to get on that small list has to be, ‘Is this person capable of being president of the United States? [And] I like Governor Palin. I’ve met her. I know her. She [is an] 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,” concluded Cheney.