Former Vice President Dick Cheney makes a surprise appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 18. Dick Cheney surprises CPAC

Former Vice President Dick Cheney made a surprise appearance Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference to pay homage to the movement and declare that Barack Obama will be a “one-term president.”

Cheney came up on stage after a speech by his daughter Liz, who hammered Obama’s policies on terrorism and laid blame on administration officials for the attempted Christmas Day bombing.


The room exploded with excitement for the former vice president, who was greeted with cheers of “run, Dick, run!”

“A welcome like that is almost enough to make me want to run for office again — but I’m not gonna do it,” he said.

Cheney made clear that he has passed the torch to his daughter, of whom he said he is “enormously proud.”

“She said I could come with her, but that I had to be arm candy,” the former vice president joked.

Cheney said that he is excited for the opportunities this November’s elections present for conservatives, especially for the younger generation to step up and take control of the movement.

“The sky is the limit here. I think 2010 will be a phenomenal year. And I think Barack Obama is a one-term president,” he said.

“The highlights of my years in public office have been my opportunities to come to CPAC,” Cheney said to the conference attendees. “Let me thank you for all the energy and time and effort you’ve dedicated to our common cause.”

“It’s a remarkable time to be an American and a remarkable time to be a conservative,” he concluded. “Good luck.”