Commentary

Liz Cheney's 'Lincoln' Project

by Joe Mandese , August 17, 2022

Liz Cheney ended her 2022 House reelection campaign Tuesday night, but accelerated her 2024 one by kicking off her own version of a "Lincoln" project, noting that he too lost elections for Congress before winning "the most important one of all."

While it may have seemed like a concession speech to some, it was just the beginning of her next campaign. And she's even got a working slogan to go with it: "The Great Task," which draws upon the line from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address vowing to ensure that "the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth."

In other words, Cheney is now campaigning fully on the basis of preserving American democracy, and without the political harangue of her Wyoming seat, and as vice chair of the January 6th Committee, I can't think of a better place to do it.

The Republican party may wax nostalgic for Ronald Reagan's "Morning Again In America," which has been appropriated and bastardized into "Make America Great Again," but it was Lincoln's task that made the Republican Party great in the first place, and Cheney is picking up his mantle.

And while pundits already predict that there's no way she could defeat the twice impeached former president in a Republican primary should he choose to run again, even as he faces numerous criminal investigations, including ones related to the January 6th attack on Lincoln's task, I don't think it really matters at this point, because Cheney already is the Republican frontrunner for preserving the rule of law, as well as democracy in America.

"As we meet here tonight, that remains our greatest and most important task," Cheney said, making a strong case that we "our nation is barrelling once again toward crisis, lawlessness and violence," much of which is being egged on by her own party, which is endorsing, promoting and electing election deniers and conspiracy theorists.

And while her immediate task will be to fight them, I can't think of a better platform for her to mount a 2024 bid, whether it's in the Republican Party or not.

9 comments about "Liz Cheney's 'Lincoln' Project".

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Clark Celmayster from Endeavor, August 17, 2022 at 1:33 p.m.
Lets be clear that 1) the Lincoln project in a lefists group cloaked under the guise of a conservative platform. Cheyney just got her ass whipped and Trump has shown that a majority of conservatives want a better, more conservative GOP and rid of the Rhinos !

All the past and current "criminal" investigations lead by the leftist MSM have been proven "Trumped" up!

We are pissed and come Nov 8 we will show just how pissed as we vote for real. Maybe Liz can get a seat on the View!
Reply

Terry Kollman from Charter Marketing Group, August 17, 2022 at 3:39 p.m.

Joe,
Everyone is entitled to their views. But as Editor-in-Chief of MediaPost, your blog is very biased and politically incorrect in this setting I was hoping the media industry information that we get from MediaPost would not be politicized. I guess I was wrong to assume that your publications would presemt an independent view.
Does this mean that everything we get from MediaPost is left-wing progressive?
Please set the record straight.
Thank You.
Terry

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., August 17, 2022 at 4:02 p.m.

@Terry Kollman: I am editor-in-chief of MediaPost, but I also write "Red, White & Blog," which definitely is biased, because it represents my personal point-of-view. (It's clearly labeled "commentary").

It also is explicitly about politics (Sub-headed "Truth, Mud & The American Media") and is a blog that leads a weekly newsletter about politics ("Marketing Politics Weekly").

I don't know how much more transparent we could be about that.

Just like me, you are entitled to your personal opinion, and welcome to express it here.

You can assume whatever you want, but speaking for the rest of the editorial team at MediaPost, we don't believe the news we report is either "left wing" or "progressive," just the facts as best we can cover them.

Ben B from Retired replied, August 17, 2022 at 10:25 p.m.

Liz isn't joining the Lincoln Project if I lived in WY I'd have voted for Liz she is common sense as a moderate conservative I know I'm considered RINO I don't care I don't believe that. I don't like that both sides have become too extreme and being in the middle is a bad thing which it isn't. Liz will have to run as an independent in 2024 I don't want a rematch of Biden VS Trump 2.0 I'd vote 3RD party again as it was one less vote for both Trump & Biden that is how I see it.

Ben B from Retired, August 17, 2022 at 10:42 p.m.

Liz will have to run as an independent in my opinion as she doesn't have a shot on the GOP side which is sad she is pretty conservative I'm proud of her that she stood for something along with the 10 that voted to impeach Trump. One of them was my congressmen soon to be retired after 36 years in congress Fred Upton it had nothing to do with Trump I believe that he wanted to retire I kinda thought it was coming after winning by 5 points his closet win in his 36 years in 2018 that was a dog fight for him and pretty nasty as well with the attack ads on him which weren't true, I'll leave it at that.

I just don't want Trump VS Biden 2.0 I want fresh blood and I'll vote 3TD party if it is a rematch and will be one less vote for Trump & Biden that is how I see it and not a wasted vote. And it is time for a 3RD party to rise up and light a fire under the 2-party system which is broken as both sides are extreme in my opinion need to get back to some common sense and get back to the middle. As most Americans are middle of the road and moderate truth be told.

Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, August 18, 2022 at 6:56 a.m.

Couldn't agree with you more, Ben. Our political system is, indeed, broken and both parties are to blame---though Trump has certainly stirred the pot to the boiling point and hastened the system's demise. Problem is the politicians have made launching a third party very difficult---in order to protect themselves from the public's wrath and keep themselves in power.

Dan C. from MS Entertainment, August 18, 2022 at 11:07 a.m.

@Joe - it is democracy that led to Cheney's defeat - not the lack of. Polls showed that her focus on getting Trump and not paying attention to the needs of her own state led to her own self-inflicted defeat.

The people have spoken - and Liz Cheney ain't no Lincoln. She lost in a landslide in a heavily red state.

Finally, it would be great for you and MediaPost articles to stop presenting the Licoln Pojects as an agency. It's a PAC for the left and even says as much on their website. Naming Lincoln Project as "Creative Agency of the Year" just illustrates the bias goes well-beyond your own views. I agree that it's ok for you to be overtly biased in these commentaries, but as editor in chief, it is obvious that your bias is affecting the rest of the content on MP which should be much more objective.

Marc Stryker from Penna Powers, August 18, 2022 at 6:22 p.m.

Somehow we're in a new framework where fealty to Trump is "conservative" and being a real "Republican". To me, that's the definition of a real RHINO - the Trump bastardization of politics so that anyone who is a bonafide conservative but happens to object to the absurd ethics of Trumpism (basically anything that benefits Trump himself, not the country), is considered "moderate" or even "leftist". Trump left conservative, patriotic values long ago (if he ever embraced them) - he is the RHINO, people. Liz Cheney is as conservative as it gets - she believes in Republican principles - she never left the party, the party left her.

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., August 18, 2022 at 6:45 p.m.

@Marc Stryker: I feel you.