Cheney, Bush less moderate than they seem
Seemingly overlooked in the media evaluation of Dick Cheney is his securing the votes of the extreme right for the Republican ticket. The national press has asked Cheney about his congressional voting record on issues ranging from Head Start to cop-killer bullets. Cheney liberally alters his position on each controversial vote, except his vote against a resolution in favor of freeing Nelson Mandela.
In defending his Mandela vote, Cheney invokes “communism.” Mandela communist? Hardly — then or now. Why does Cheney continue denigrating Nelson Mandela? Because Nelson Mandela is black! Cheney’s stance reassures and secures the votes of the bigots and racists of the extreme right.
Cheney creates a buffer between the extreme right and Bush. Thus, Bush frees himself to appeal to fiscally conservative, white middle-class voters who otherwise will not tolerate bigotry. With Cheney, Bush gets the vote of the extreme right AND finesses the vote of otherwise sensible, kind conservatives. The vote of both groups is essential to his campaign success.
Perhaps the effect of this plan is what Bush means when he talks about “Soft Bigotry.” Except, in whose cynical lexicon is bigotry ever “Soft?” The bigotry of the Republican Party is as masterfully pernicious and present today as it was in 1988 when Bush-the-father invoked Willie Horton. An antic for which Bush-the-father’s campaign adviser (Lee Atwater) later apologized, but Bush-the-father never.
Like father, like son. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Roy B. Conant

Portland, Ore.