Dick Cheney would like to see Hillary Clinton run for president against Barack Obama. "So far she hasn't said she would, but I think it's not a bad idea," the former vice president told ABC News' Jonathan Karl in an interview Wednesday.
"Hillary Clinton is a pretty formidable individual," Cheney said. "I think she’s probably the most competent person they’ve got in their cabinet. And, frankly, I thought she was gonna win the nomination last time around."
"Maybe if the Obama record is bad enough -- and these days it's not very good, given the shape of the economy -- maybe there will be enough ferment in the Democratic Party so that there will be a primary on their side."
That doesn't mean Cheney would be voting for Clinton, however. A Democratic primary "might even help the Republicans a little bit," Cheney told Karl with a smile.
Cheney's comments come after an interview on "Fox News Sunday" in which he said it would be "interesting to speculate" about a Hillary Clinton presidency.
"I certainly wouldn't want to discourage a good primary contest on their side, but I don't want to be in the position of endorsing Hillary Clinton," Cheney told host Chris Wallace. "That might be the kiss of death for her."
"The fact is I'll be supporting the Republican nominee, and I think we got good candidates that are going to mount an effective campaign against the Obama administration," Cheney said.