Dick Cheney’s long career was replete with paradox. He was one of the most powerful vice presidents in American history. Yet he spent his early years in Washington as a mere doorkeeper, a staff aide who handled details and executed decisions for others. Cheney died Monday at age 84.

Cheney eventually became known for his determined convictions, including the ones that eventually led the United States into its disastrous war in Iraq. Cheney’s personal style was low-key and nonconfrontational, certainly by the standards of political life in America today. But for years, newspaper columnists and Sunday talk shows turned to him for his ostensibly dispassionate analysis, delivered in a deep voice that conveyed gravitas and reassurance.

In the process, his strong views could be overlooked or m

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