On this weekend’s broadcast of ABC’s “This Week,” former Vice President Dick Cheney explained what he viewed to be the appropriate criteria for selecting a running mate in a presidential election.
According to the former vice president, the single most important aspect of that decision is determining whether the individual is prepared to step in on day one to be president of the United States. But that was the problem, according to Cheney, with 2008 Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain’s pick, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
“Those are important issues, but they should never be allowed to override that first proposition,” Cheney said. “I think that was one of the problems McCain had. I like Gov. Palin. I’ve met her, I know her. She’s an attractive candidate, but based on her background — she had only been governor two years, so I don’t think she passed that test of being ready to take over, and I think that was a mistake.”