Former Vice President Dick Cheney has some advice for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on choosing his V.P. running mate in August:
Don’t pick another Sarah Palin.
In his first interview since receiving a heart transplant in March, Cheney told ABC News that John McCain’s decision to pick Palin was “a mistake.”
Cheney says he privately offered some advice to Romney and Beth Myers, who is leading Romney’s search for a running mate, on the process.
Cheney would not comment on what he told Romney and Myers, but he was typically blunt in his assessment of McCain’s decision to pick Palin.
“That one,” Cheney said, “I don’t think was well handled.”
His reasoning is simple but profound: “The test to get on that list has to be, ‘Is this person capable of being president of the United States?'”
“I like Governor Palin. I’ve met her. 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.”
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and others are believed to be under close consideration, though all bets are off regarding the secretive process.