Well, they changed the format a bit. They ended up taking online questions only so they were screened. I was going to make a whole post about it (maybe still will). He got some good questions, and while I went into it thinking that maybe I had set some of my prejudices aside; that he isn't an evil asshole, that maybe he just a different perspective. Yeah he dashed those thoughts away quickly. He started with a speech about how the NSA program is great and vital, straight up lied saying 'reports that they're collecting your data are hogwash', and tried making an emotional appeal saying 9/11 wouldn't have happened if we had it back then. He then went on to talk about how he wants to militarily act against Iran, said asinine things like if Syria or Libya had nukes they would have nuked their own countries, but that was stoppedhis aadministration entering places illegally. He jokingly responsed to war crimes allegations after a (really weak) walk out by saying he intentionally found the greyest areas of the law in a way that he thought he should be praised for, and the eventual changes that were forced on him were coincidence. That's the tip of it. He's not seeking office so he had no filter and just spewed his Old White Guy ignorance.
If you get the chance, you should read any of Harvey Pekar's comics. The version of thepiece iI have listed is not the original, but a combination from a number of the different artists who worked with him. The original is from R. Crumb, as seen in the first and last panel. He is one of the greatest inspirations in my life, and Paul Giamatti (as per usual) nails that piece in the film (as thenewgreen linked below).
Jesus. That sounds....disappointedly ignorant and generally icky. I would love a full update post if you have the time/desire. I'm sure others would too. Thanks for the brief overview though. I figured that if something outrageous or surprising had happened, you would've let us know.
I second the request for a full update, it's not everyday one hears someone like Dick Cheney speak. -Though at your place of employment it's more often than most.
Well, judging by the above comment, it would seem that Dick Cheney didn't bring a new perspective to the table. Or, perhaps more accurately, he did not attempt to make a constructive use of his perspective. In the end, that makes him both an asshole and useless.