As I wrote this on November 4th, I had just read about the death of Dick Cheney, former Vice-President and long time member of the Republican establishment. He had been suffering severe health problems for years, and he was more or less out of the public eye since 2009.

I always respected Cheney. As a relatively young man, he served as Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford and later was Secretary of Defense under George H. W. Bush. He appeared to perform ably in both of those positions. As Vice-President under the younger Bush, he became well-known to the American public. Journalists usually described him as a war-hawk, and his critics like to portray him as Darth Vader. Nevertheless, everyone recognized that he was a patriot.

When Trump arrived on the national scene, Cheney was offended by Trump’s personal behavior and what he believed to be his un-Presidential actions. He was particularly incensed by Trump’s response following his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election, and he backed his daughter Liz Cheney as she fought to bring Trump and his supporters to account. His dislike of Trump even went so far as to cause him to support Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections. That was a foolish decision that can only be justified by his conviction that Trump was a clear and present danger to American democracy.

I cannot agree with Cheney’s judgment of Trump and support of Harris, but I understand it. I will continue to honor his patriotism and service to our great nation.