Liz Cheney Drops Out: Good For GOP?

Liz Cheney isn't running for Senate in Wyoming after all — and this is how it's widely being interpreted:

"This probably alleviates a headache that could have been playing for the GOP for quite sometime. ... She was trailing in the polls."

"Some top Republicans never embraced her candidacy. They worried it would hurt the Republican Party."

Basically, the takeaway from the chattering class is that Cheney's candidacy — as a Republican — was no good for Republicans. 

Still — Politico portrayed the news as a surprise to some Republicans who spoke to the outlet. 

Liz Cheney is, of course, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. She was running as a Republican, and cited family health concerns as her reason for dropping her candidacy. (Via YouTube / CheneyForWyoming)

But you'd be hard-pressed to find an article about her withdrawal that doesn't mention a recent, very public spat with her lesbian sister over the issue of same-sex marriage. (Via PBS)

And other challenges to her campaign — including the perception that she was a carpetbagger who had only gained residency in Wyoming in 2012. 

She would have run against incumbent Republican Mike Enzi, who's now pretty much guaranteed to keep his seat. (Via U.S. Senate)

The news came first from CNN's John King and Peter Hamby, who describe Cheney as an "unapologetic neoconservative" who likely would have clashed with grassroots and libertarian-leaning conservatives.