In today’s New York Times, Mark Leibovich offers up an interesting —and even relatively objective— profile of Liz Cheney based on a speech she gave in Nashville earlier this month. Perhaps if Mr. Leibovich read TNN more attentively, he wouldn’t be coming so late to this story; the Cheney phenomenon has already been noted here and here. (Apparently this problem has now been solved.)
Liz Cheney’s appeal in conservative settings like the one in Nashville was evident within seconds of her arrival. She strolled in without entourage to a Sheraton ballroom, unrecognized at first, past a cluster of women getting their pictures taken with Joe the Plumber.
“God bless you, I pray for your abundance,” a woman from Scottsdale, Ariz., Lori Frantzve, said upon realizing who Ms. Cheney was.
“Oh, I have five kids; I have plenty of abundance,” Ms. Cheney replied.
“Hey sister!” the conservative columnist Michelle Malkin greeted Ms. Cheney. They posed for pictures and air-kissed. Ms. Malkin proclaimed herself a “fan girl” and told Ms. Cheney she was “doing a great job out there.”
Working with only a Yahoo account, Ms. Cheney has been fielding dozens of speaking and interview requests a month, accepting many. (She declined to be interviewed for this article, saying she was uncomfortable with a story focused on her rather than her policy beliefs.) She is scheduled to appear at fund-raisers for Republican candidates through the rest of the year, and is a co-founder of a Web site, KeepAmericaSafe.com, that is scheduled to go online next month as a forum, resource and publication devoted to hawkish conservative views.
Liz Cheney in Nashville (photo for The New York Times by Josh Anderson.)