Where there's more Republican VP smoke, there's more Condi Rice

Now that everybody is dismissing it, we know there's really something up for sure about Condoleezza Rice possibly becoming a vice presidential candidate with the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain.

Obviously, the choice is his. He's stubborn enough not to be pushed.

And he's said publicly that his campaign team has just begun to assemble a long list of possibilities. (You don't want any party VP wannabes thinking they were overlooked, even if ultimately not chosen.)

The Arizona senator wants the No. 2 choice to be well-prepared when the announcement time comes, unlike, say, a certain former senator from Indiana whose name is the same as those helpless little birds that all the current vice presidents like to blast with large guns.

The speculation about Rice began two weeks ago, chronicled in detail on The Ticket, when within days in between foreign trips she complimented Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on his race speech, spent a long time with the editorial board of the conservative Washington Times and published the transcript of the session on the State Department website.

Then she spoke at the regular Wednesday conservative brainstorming session presided over by the bearded and ubiquitous Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform.

Because it is THE place for conservatives to present themselves and programs before a wide array of important....

conservative institutions in the nation's capital, potential candidates are drawn there. Cabinet secretaries in GOP administrations ensure their deputies are ready to brief that influential crowd any week.

But for a secretary herself to attend and speak seemingly off-the-cuff, not about becoming vice president (she never even mentioned it, which made her presence and presentation all the more powerful), but about her life and upbringing in Birmingham and Denver, her values, programs, policies and views. She has described herself, for instance, as "mildly pro-choice."

Attendees, who are not supposed to talk about the off-the-record sessions, said off-the-record that virtually everyone went away saying to themselves, "She could be president." Which is a helpful qualification for a possible vice president who would turn 54 10 days after the November election, when the head of the ticket would be 72 on inauguration day.

Norquist himself enthusiastically endorsed Rice's non-existent candidacy in a lengthy interview with the Washington Post's blog The Sleuth today.

"If her goal was to convince everyone she would be a good president and, therefore, a good vice president," Norquist told Mary Ann Akers, "she hit it out of the ballpark."

For years since she helped design the policies of the nascent Bush campaign in 1999, Rice, who was trained as a concert pianist, has maintained that her ideal job would be commissioner of the National Football League, a job that is not currently vacant.

More recently, Rice has said that at the end of her current government job next January, she looks forward to leaving the city to "new blood," returning to the West (she remains a tenured Stanford faculty member on leave) and reading, writing and voting as an ordinary citizen. And no doubt regaining some lucrative posts on corporate boards.

She also told Akers that McCain is "an extraordinary American, a really outstanding leader."

McCain has said he's detected no signals from Rice. Her State Department spokesman Monday sought to dampen the political rumors. And on the same day as Akers' post, another Washington Post blog, the Trail, recited her disinterest in the VP job. But, you'll notice, no one is saying "never" or "out of the question."

All of which, in the absence of any other Republican political news except McCain's lame fundraising numbers, naturally fuels the speculation.

If you were designing an ideal Republican vice presidential running mate in the Chinese Year of the Democrat, when that party will have either a black or a woman candidate at the top of the ticket, a black woman who's from the state with the most electoral votes and has already established her conservative credentials with the D.C. Republican groups that count and donate (and remain suspicious of McCain) could fit right in.

Think someone like that, despite her connection to an unpopular White House incumbent, could help re-energize the dispirited base of the party of Lincoln? That is, after all, McCain's Job One.

But, as they say, there's probably nothing to it. She'll likely go back to Palo Alto and disappear.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: State Department

Comments

[B.J.Morris]

Rice would be refreshingly honest. Her experience is, on a scale of 1 to10, an 11 She is an ideal VP candidate.

[RR]

What country are you living in? You really think a single, black woman could have a positive effect on a presidential ticket. I wish it were true, but unfortunately that's not how it is in the USA. I actually think the descriptor that might hurt her the most is "single".
Add to all that, she's part of a very unpopular administration..you think McCain wants more connections w/ Bush? Get educated.... The best thing the Dems could hope for is if McCain picks Rice for VP.

[nswfm]

She'd be the perfect extension of the miserable current admin and a great reason to vote AGAINST John McCain.

[Bob]

Great. A black woman with a forked tongue promoting the Neocon agenda of bankrupting the U.S. and war profiteering. This scum needs to be tried and convicted of war crimes with the other snakes.

[Gaias Child]

Well, we do remember that George Shultz (is he still CEO of Bechtel?) first brought the professor from Stanford to Crawford in order to tutor Bush the younger on foreign policy and history.

He has so much to thank her for. As do we.

[Winston Smith]

She is the ideal combination of dishonesty and incompetence.

[tommyd]

It would be an eye opener to see the left attack an extremely successful African American Female, one that has more qualifications than both Dem candidates put together.

[Ray]

This lady has more smarts than most anyone else qualified for the job of VP. She is educated in the arts, speaks 5 languages fluently, gives lectures on Russian foreign policy in Russian, has extensively traveled over the world establishing her credentials to foreign governments and has seen and done more than most any potential VP prospect. She has never received bad press on any of her travels and negotiations and has done more for the credibility of this country abroad than anyone in recent memory. I cannot think of a better candidate for VP. If she is not chosen as McCain's running mate, he has his head up his A**.

[Jorge]

Well another scumback liberal talking about a woman he knows nothing about. go back to water boarding off a San Francisco beach.

[Doug anderson]

Not that McCain is electable anyway, but add ANY member from the BUSH administration, and will insure a landslide victory for whatever Democrat runs against him.
..besides, Condi and others won't have time for positions in McCains cabinet, they will be to busy defending themselves against all High Crime charges against them, including Treason and Genocide.

[M]

Actually, i think it would be insulting for Secy. Rice to be considered a VP. She would be a better-qualified presidential candidate than McCain.

It's so unfortunate that she's tied to a disastrous presidential administration.

[Wyatt]

Unlike Mrs. Clinton, Condeleeza Rice actually has some foreign policy experience. While Hillary was busy making up stories about "ducking under sniper fire" , Ms. Rice was actually negotiating with foreign leaders.

Now we are supposed to believe she is against free trade all of a sudden, just because it is politically expedient in Pennsylvania to pretend that she wasn't really pushing for NAFTA, back when it was just a gleam in her eye.

Bill's legacy of "look 'em in the eye and lie", would seem to be alive and well in Hillary's chameleon-style campaign. Rocky she is not..more like Pinocchio.

[Mr. T]

It is a fun trick of Republicans who oppose diversity and affirmative action to covertly illustrate their point by promoting supremely unqualified women or people of color, and sitting back in delight as liberals spin. Does anyone believe Clarence Thomas is qualified? Does anyone believe Harriet Miers is qualified?

Promoting Condi for veep would be a change: an attempt at diversity that isn't completely cynical and ironic. At first glance, she is surely more qualified to be president than our actual president.

But insider portraits of the White House paint her as practically Bush's co-president, contributing deeply to the disastrous decisions of this failed administration. If that is so, then she lacks sound judgment. And if she opposed them but didn't have the decency to resign in protest, then she lacks the moral center we deserve.

I actually like John McCain, even though his "maverick" status is more PR than reality (far from a free thinker, he is actually the 8th most conservative member of the Senate by voting record). I wouldn't be terribly upset if he won. But this isn't the way to do it --- anyone well-known from the Bush administration would be toxic to the ticket.

[D.R Harrisburg, NC]

There is no way the white convervatives will accept and vote for a single, black female. Do you remember back in 2000 when the most qualified candidate ever toyed with the decision (Colin Powell) and a bunch of redneck senators held a press conference which all but pursuaded Powell not to run... hopefully in my lifetime

[Mike]

She would be a perfect VP pick. Obama has only been on the national scene for 2 years and Clinton's best experience is sitting around drinking coffee as the first lady.

Too many people are voting Obama/Clinton simply because of racial/gender issues. With Rice as the VP, this should throw a wrench in everything.

[Dave]

Considering who her predecessor was, she is but a puppet in the administration. Still though, that would throw the left for a loop: a double-minority vp. Dollars to doughnuts this happens. Condi is content being the right-wing puppet, unlike the guy before her.

[Stem]

Condi on the ticket would also be historical. It would ensure one way or the other that an African American either becomes president or vice president. The real deal however, is to split the Black vote that the Democrats would otherwise have, thus weakening the democrats chance of winning. Another would be to split the female vote from the democrats, thus also diminishing the democrats chance of winning. Great strategy. Now this is real smart, except for one thing: she really has not accomplished much, was a failure as National Security Advisor, failed to see 9/11, is associated with the biggest blunder and presidential failure in recent times, and really has not been vetted. Her being on the ticket would almost gurantee a democratic victory in November. For this reason, I hope that she is chosen.

[section9]

One of the reasons in favor of putting Rice on the ticket is that she will provoke an almost canine level of racist reaction from the Democrats.

Oh, and given Richelieu's atavistic reaction to her, it sounds as if the Romney partisans are upset as well.

[Edgar Littleton]

Rice is the perfect running mate for McCain. It's the best thing for the DEMS could hope for. The DEMS will take the White Hous for sure.

[ES]

No doubt she is an exceptionally brilliant lady of no comparison. And yes I've heard that she was part of the team who tutored Mr. Bush on foreign affairs and public policies over at Mr. George Schultz's estate for 3 weeks before they launched their seige on the American jaded public.
Much as I would have agreed with her running for a public office, her association with such a terribly flawed administration like the one we have becomes her true negatives, brilliant and all.
I have watched her hold her grounds on many occassions over C-Span and I mavel at all times at her academic excellence. But with a bagage like Mr. Bush's trail, whao!!!

[narner]

Here is why republicans still have a chance. Democrats spend way too much time insisting that conservatives republicans are evil. From this classist bigotry you Democrats expect me to vote for any one whose party insists that I am evil. And I am what you would call a moderate conservative. Wackos on both sides piss me off
there just happen to be more wackos on the democrat side.
Heck I even like Oboma and I would vote for him if McCain hadn't won the GOP. If Oboma didn't support murdering babies I would vote for him. Nothing is more evil than killing babies but I am I still don't call liberals evil, just

[reubensc75]

i would like to see how america lives with a black president, vp, and state sec....how's that sound?

[C Marr]

Name one thing that Condi has done worth a damn since she's been in office?
Oh wait I've got one, she shopped for shoes while Katrina victims drowned.
Well I guess that's a good enough rec to become a Republican Veep.

[john burris]

So what if Condi can speak 5 languages and is intellectually gifted? Can ANYONE name anything positive she has done in the Bush Cabinet? I agree with Don Trump that she's out of her element.
As a military intelligence veteran, I personally respect and admire Senator McCain, BUT how can ANYONE of reasonable intelligence support a candidate who says he doesn't understand economics, wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent (in an era of mega deficits), and is totally wrong on Iraq?
As a Hurricane Katrina survivor and Fema victim, I also find it offensive ANYONE can even consider voting for the Republicans after they ABANDONED our own people on the Gulf Coast. The Federal government wastes all kinds of money on silly stuff, but if you survived Katrina, you got treated like a terrorist. What a disgraceful period in our nation's history!!!!!!!!!!

[Skip]

Condi Rice is the ultimate affirmative action hire. She's botched her assignments as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, but she's a African American and a female, so put her on the ticket? And I thought the conservatives opposed affirnmative action. I guess this doesn't apply if you can put a Black face on the political agenda of the rich, fat cats that run the Republican party.

As National Security Advisor Condi was wrong on WMD in Iraq and was just another "Yes" (wo)man in the Bush 2 Regime, which has led us into one of the biggest quagmires in our nations history, the Iraq war. During he tenure as Secretary of State, America continues to lose respect and influence of both friendly nations and our rivals. Condi as VP would give us just more of the same...a continued waste of blood and treasure spent on the Iraq War and economic and political decline here at home.

[Thomas]

Condi is a great choice. While some of you seem to forgot, a Republican president freed the slaves and a Republican president put the first woman on the Supreme Court. Republicans have a history of advancing the rights of women and minorities.

There is a legitimate concern about too much change too quick- but Condi is a great choice because the alternative in the democratic nomination is either a black man or a woman. Not that race or gender should really matter.

Intellectually Condi has everything we could ever hope for in a VP (or P). She is fell versed on a wide range of policies and is an expert in foreign policy. She is conservative and is has the true conservative compass that McCain (a maverick) sometimes lacks.

We would be lucky to have her in the White House.

[carol]

If Rice receives the vp nomination for the republican party then I'll vote republican. She is brilliant. I think it'd be a smart move on McCain's part.

[DHughs]

I don't agree with Mr. T's view, expressed earlier, on McCain; but I couldn't put it better about Condi. He said:

"At first glance, she is surely more qualified to be president than our actual president.

"But insider portraits of the White House paint her as practically Bush's co-president, contributing deeply to the disastrous decisions of this failed administration. If that is so, then she lacks sound judgment. And if she opposed them but didn't have the decency to resign in protest, then she lacks the moral center we deserve."

thank you, Mr. T!

[Frank S. Moore]

Rice would be a perfect reminder of not only the failures of the Bush administration, but the lack of character her and Colin Powell exhibited in not tendering their resignations in light of the criminal negligence and fraud Cheney and his merry band of Apocalyptic pranksters wrougt. Bring it on, as some dumbass once said.

[Ken]

Never underestimate the power and influence of the women-folk! Very brilliant, intelligent and subtle!
Come to think of it, she has been the main power broker of this administration, and has carved a niche for herself, quietly asserting and exerting her influence in the political landscape of this dispensation.
We all would do well to take this into serious thought, and borrow a leaf from it!

[Manuel R. Mendez]

Rice? what a joke!

[olive]

I'm a Democrat but seriously thinking about voting for McCain if he can get Rice on board as VP. I think Bush's administration is the worst in the history and yes being in his administration carry some baggage for Rice.
But I think personally that Rice is the single good thing that have and hold value in Bush's administration. People may disagree with my opinion but I believe without Rice, the current administration would be in worse shape. Of course you can't really expect Rice to single-handedly taking care of the mess that Bush made.

[Chuck]

Mr T wrote " But insider portraits of the White House paint her as practically Bush's co-president, contributing deeply to the disastrous decisions of this failed administration. If that is so, then she lacks sound judgment. And if she opposed them but didn't have the decency to resign in protest, then she lacks the moral center we deserve."

Moral center....Obama...ha ha ha. Hillary...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Get real.

[Chris Brown]

To those who think it's hard to find information out about C. Rice, I've got news for them. As Sec. of State she is often in the press. Some of her gems include the "axis of evil" and the "poisoned relationship" with Germany.

As for her experience, a yes woman for Bush, and Rumsfeld is not what I would call a recommendation. Oh yeah she also worked for Chevron Oil and has a tanker named for her.

Black or white she is not particularly intelligent as can be seen from her articles written for Wall Street.

By the way, there has been a draft Condi movement around for much longer than 2 weeks

Chris Brown

[Mall]

One thing about it, if you lean towards a constitutional point of view the role of the president is mostly protecting citizens and being chief of the military, so there could be no more qualified ticket than McCain/Rice.

Obama is militarily naive by Clinton standards, and all Clinton's experience consists of her husband's botched jobs on holding Sadam to treaty, keeping slavic Europe under control, fighting off African genocide, and hitting bin laden when he was locked in the targetting system.

Neither one of them has ever had a non-political, non-legal fight in their entire lives. How would they have a clue what battle is about, how victory is gained, and how a soldier feels?

[Bill]

The current comments are a good example of the problem with modern Democrats: They watch too much TV. Rice involved in Genocide? Bush at fault for botching his attempt at fixing a problem left to fester by the Clinton administration? Is there anything in the Democrat vocabulary that does not sound like blatant propaganda and smear campaigning?