Fifty years from now, President George W. Bush will likely go down as a likeable, bumbling leader who listened to bad advice and probably never should have been promoted to the job to begin with. On historical surveys, he’ll rate in the bottom 1/3rd of Presidents, far below his father, but above such disasters as James Buchanan. It’s hard to say what the fate of his Vice President Dick Cheney might be. Few politicians have ever inspired such animosity. He certainly will not be called bumbling, he had too much vision for that, but whether he’ll be branded with worse adjectives is anyone’s guess. We just won’t know until all the partisan feelings evaporate and scholars start taking a genuine and honest look back, which is why projects like the following HBO documentary are unlikely to hold up historically.
According to Deadline, less than a Presidential term after he left office, Dick Cheney is getting his own miniseries. Based on the book Angler as well as the documentary The Dark Side, the production will trace the former Vice President’s steps as he made his career as a lifelong politician. Few remember he traces his roots all the way back to the Nixon administration, though it’s unclear whether the project will use one actor in heavy makeup or different actors to portray him at different points during his career.
Former West Wing scribe Rick Cleveland is currently working on the script. Once it’s finished and a director boards, we’ll probably get a better idea of what tone the miniseries might take. I expect it to be harsh. Whether it’s unnecessarily so will be up to viewers to decide.
