Liz Cheney, the former Wyoming congresswoman who pretends to be a Republican, is exactly where you would expect. She’s right in the middle the leftist utopia that is higher education. Cheney will join the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics as a professor. It is managed by the former venerable Larry Sabato. Sabato was absolutely thrilled to make the announcement.
“With democracy under attack in this country, and around the globe, Liz Cheney is a role model for political courage and leadership. Students will be able to hear Liz’s compelling message about integrity. She is a strong example of courage and was willing to take the cost for her principles and democracy.
As any serious observer of politics will know, “Political courage” and “Liz Cheney” do not belong together. Larry Sabato unfortunately does not fall into this category. Liz rode on the back of her father all the way to Congress, where she decided that her status as Republican royalty gave her the right to go after Donald Trump. Trump was not her family’s archaic idea about what makes a good Republican. They actually believe they can decide that, despite the fact that Trump has a unique way of connecting with voters that the Cheney family could never.
Let’s face facts, Liz Cheney has the reputation of being the ultimate nepotist. To get into the political elite, she traded in her father’s name. Then, after failing to make herself recognizable in Congress, she capitalized on January 6th to try to stay relevant. She tried to split her party to show her political ambitions. However, being warmly welcomed by The Lincoln Project and Adam Kinzinger is not the kind of resume booster that serious people want. Wyoming’s good citizens saw through her charm and sent her packing for last year’s primary.
This brings us back to Virginia where she clearly wants to consolidate power in her future political endeavors. It all begins with her new job at UVA.
“It is a great honor to join the UVA Center for Politics and become a Professor in Practice. The most pressing task of our time is to preserve our constitution. Our nation’s youth will play an important role in this endeavor. I look forward working with the Center’s students and other University of Virginia colleagues to further the important work they do to promote democracy around the globe. Our system of government is under threat. I hope that my work with the Center for Politics, and the wider community at the University of Virginia, will help to find lasting solutions that preserve and strengthen democracy.
UVA, for its part, is proud to have offered its students “an amazing opportunity to learn form Liz Cheney,” who has fiercely defended democracy in her distinguished career.
She is moving from Wyoming to Virginia because she is a long-time resident in the northern Virginia region and has only been there for the possibility of getting elected (again, under her father’s name and standing). Virginia is where she calls home, and it’s almost certain that Virginia will be her new home. She has suggested a presidential run; she is confident enough to believe she can pull it off. Even though she may be tempted to run, leftists will still open their pockets for her in the misguided belief that they will confuse Republicans by supporting her. After Tim Kaine and/or Mark Warner move on, she will have the campaign infrastructure necessary to run for Senate. If that fails, her animus toward Trump could see her replace Don Beyer or Jihad Gerry Connolly in the House. It is possible to run for governor in 2025.
Despite the Republican sweep of governor, lieutenant Governor and attorney general in 2021 Democrats still hold a stranglehold over the population centers of Northern Virginia and Richmond. These are Hillary and Biden voters who may see Liz Cheney the new Hillary. She may be exactly that.
