I think it was around September of 2024 that I first said that dragging the pre-corpse of Dick on stage was an error. Some good person here pointed out that he had not been physically brought on stage. This is, obviously, true, for he was nearing death, though not quickly enough in my humble opinion. I favored tossing him in a wheelbarrow and pushing him across that finished line. I'll cover my response to that friend, and add a bit more.
The first one that ushered him into the campaign was his daughter Liz. This happened at some festival in Texas, where she said that not only would she be voting against the felon, but her father would, too. You may remember the audience cheered when she announced it. Shortly thereafter, a statement was released -- reportedly from Dick -- endorsing VP Harris. I immediately recognized that as poison. It struck me as being akin to an endorsement from Idi Amin. One should not seek the endorsement of war criminals. Rather, treat them the same as an endorsement from David Duke.
Now, unlike her father, I had some respect for Liz Cheney, for when push came to shove, she did take a brave stand for the Constitution. That is something her father did not do while serving under Bush. Yet I disagreed with most every other position she took while in office. Having her campaign against the felon within the context of the republican party was fine, but she surely wasn't going to bring many voters with her. Dick hardly represented Democratic Party values.
After her Texas speech, the pre-ghost of Dick would be brought up numerous times by the campaign. A lot of people, myself included, found that offensive. Of course, it did not change my vote, as I have voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since reaching voting age. But I did find that a number of people I know -- people that knew someone wounded or killed in Iraq -- found it outrageous. They opted not to vote, which I think was a shame. But I respect everyone's right to vote or not vote based upon their values.
VP Harris would say, among other things about Liz and Dick, that she was "honored" to have Dick's endorsement, and that he and Liz were "leaders who were well-respected." Again, like many Democrats, I respected Liz. But I do not think that Dick was well-respected by very many other than a few die-hard necroconservatives.
In summation, I recognize the the putrid, rotting flesh and bones of a Dick on life support was not literally dropped onto a stage, or pushed out on the hospital bed he resided in at his home. But he was brought on stage numerous times by the campaign.
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