CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Over the course of time, the late Dick Cheney made several trips to West Virginia. Most of those visits were on behalf of Republican candidates seeking higher office. He visited Charleston in 2002, 2003, and 2004 for fundraising events for then West Virginia Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito.
“He was a man of few words. He didn’t really talk a lot, but he came to Charleston a few times to campaign for me and it was awesome,” said Capito on MetroNews Flagship station WCHS Radio in Charleston.
“She’s been able to gain the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle. They see her as a person of conviction with common sense and independence,” said Cheney during the first fundraiser he attended for Capito in 2002. “Come November, let’s make absolutely certain we return her for another term in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Cheney would return the following year for another campaign event, but his tone was much more somber with the United States engaged in the grips of the War on Terror and he used the opportunity to clarify the position of the Bush Administration.
“Good defense is not enough. We all know the best defense is a good offense. The problem with terrorist organizations is even if you build successful defenses, even 99 percent successful, the one percent that gets through is the one that’s going to kill you,” he said.
A public servant of the highest order, Vice President Dick Cheney modeled integrity, loyalty, and patriotism both in private and in public. My father and I both had the privilege of working alongside Vice President Cheney over the years.
Charlie and I extend our deepest… pic.twitter.com/BnSvffacAR
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) November 4, 2025
Fairmont State University Political Science Professor Robert Bolton believed Cheney would long be remembered as the man who worked methodically behind the scenes and out of the limelight.
“Dick Cheney was undoubtedly the most powerful vice-president in American history,” said Bolton on MetroNews Talkline.
Bolton said Cheney was well known as a strong family man who was warm and loving to his family especially his two daughters. However, his public personae was more of dry wit without much emotion.
“He famously said if you want to be liked, go be a movie star,” said Bolton.
“He had a good sense of humor, but he was a quiet man,” Capito said. “He was a patriot and we will miss him.”
During a 2004 visit to Charleston, again on behalf of Capito, he told supporters America needed to be prepared for the long haul in the War on Terror.
“Time will only accrue to the benefit of the terrorists. They’ll gather strength and develop more deadly capabilities with maybe a biological agent or a nuclear weapon. The way to deal with it is to deal with it right now aggressively and use the full force and might of the Untied States to do that,” said Cheney.
“I do think it cemented his world view that day we saw 3,000 people burn to death and he was determined that was never going to happen again under his watch,” said Bolton.