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Cutler examines 'The World According to Dick Cheney' that what you believe is completely right and unfailing, and above either question or reproach, at a Certitude and certain point, could have conviction in a politician its dangers." is a double-edged sword. One thing that comes If you disagree with the through in Cutler's person, you want him conversations with or her to be conciliatory, cooperative and amenable Cheney is that the vice president is not interested to compromise. If you in outside approval or agree with the person, affection and that he you want him or her to stands by his beliefs and stand strong and defend choices. your shared policies and Former George W. principles. Bush press secretary Few politicians of the — and co-host of the modern era exemplify Fox News Channel this better than Richard weekday roundtable Cheney. There are those who consider him a valiant show "The Five" — Dana Perino has yet to see warrior for the cause, while others see him as a the documentary, which combination of Machiavelli premiered in January at the Sundance Film and Darth Vader. Festival, but of course On Friday, March 15 she had a front-row seat — intentionally, or not, to what happened during also the Ides of March Cheney's time in office. — Showtime premieres Asked by email what "The World According to she thinks his legacy will Dick Cheney," a profile be, Perino responds, "The of the controversial vice great thing is, none of us president who served will live long enough to under President George find out; history will have W. Bush after a career to decide. I like how he that included stints in can spin up the left and Congress, as White make them crazy by never House chief of staff being cowed by them. I (under Gerald Ford) and think he was an excellent as secretary of defense choice for the vice (under George H.W. presidency." Bush). Although Perino doesn't According to Harvardbelieve history has yet educated filmmaker R.J. passed judgment on Cutler ("Nashville," "A Cheney, Cutler says that Perfect Candidate," "The War Room"), "we certainly one goal of his film was argue in the film that Vice to take the long view of Cheney's time in the White President Cheney is a House — in particular, man of great conviction, the administration's great patriotism, great passion. It is my belief that response to 9/11 and its justifications for the Iraq conviction is a necessary War. element of the success Cutler says he viewed of a democracy. Leaders Cheney "less from the who believe in things, I believe, are the engines of perspective of his only having been out of a successful democracy. office for the length of "Leaders who don't a presidential term and believe in anything more the way we suspect except perhaps stopping history will look at his the other side from time, both in office and his accomplishing anything life and career." or getting themselves As for what surprised re-elected, these people him during his preparation clog up the engine of democracy and cause it to and days of conversations with Cheney and others, sputter and worse. Cutler says, "It's my "And here is a man approach as a filmmaker whose conviction, I always to go in, not with believe, is hard to argue. a thesis or preconceived However, conviction itself, absolute belief notion, but with curiosity and certainty in the fact and questions and inquiry. By Kate O'Hare © Zap2it 2 Directed by R.J. Cutler, "The World According to Dick Cheney" premieres Friday on Showtime. So in some way, I'm always surprised. I'm always finding paths of engagement. "I was certainly struck by the manner in which he discussed the choice between duty and honor and the way in which he described duty as trumping honor without question in his mind, specifically when he is talking about what it called enhanced interrogation techniques. The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • March 11-17, 2013 "The fact that he didn't seem to think that the question of acting with honor should enter into the equation and was rather dismissive of it — there are a number of other things that certainly struck me. I include them in the film, because I want the audience to be struck and compelled by them in the same way I was." Cheney looms as an ominous figure in the imaginations of his political and philosophical foes. Regarding that, Perino writes, "I suppose it's because they disagreed with his views and instead of having a disagreement, they had to decide that he must be evil. That's a major problem in politics today — people don't just question the policy views of someone; they question their integrity and motivations." One other reason Cheney's opponents may seek to cast him a dark light is that, unlike most vice presidents, he was a central player rather than a bystander. Says Cutler, "Cheney refers to his vice presidency ... as one of the most consequential vice presidencies in American history. And it clearly was."

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