The rumors are that Condoleeza Rice will be the new Secretary of State. I’ve always been impressed by her (although I did think her testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee was so-so), and note that this makes her a likely contender for the Republican nomination, if she’s interested in it.
Which in turn brings to mind two interesting thoughts.First, how amazingly cool it is to see a black woman in a position of such authority. And how interesting it will be to listen in on some of the more Paleozoic Republicans as they get their heads wrapped around the notion that she might bear their standard.
Fifty years ago, she would have been stuck bearing their illegitimate children.
Next, it makes the Hillary run for office even more intriguing. I’ve felt for a long time that she was overly heavy-handed; Hillary is certainly not someone who would shy from using the power of office or the state to meet the goals she felt were worth meeting. But I can’t help but think she’d make a better-than average President, given the inevitable minefields of policy that she’d have to navigate to get that far.
But she’s also probably the single most divisive political figure in America today – more than Bush, I’d say – and I think she’d get killed in the general election.
But, damn. A Clinton vs. Rice campaign would be a knock-down hum-dinger bell-ringer of a campaign. We’d have a helluva interesting time, and it might well be that the country would be better for it.
If this does put her in the front-row for the next Prisident election, how will she campaign? Wouldn’t she be required to step down from State when the campaign season begins? Has a sitting member of a cabinet ever run for election to anything before?
A Rice presidential run is somewhat far-fetched. IIRC only major war heroes like Grant and Eisenhower have ever been elected to the presidency without previously holding elective office.
Dave –
Look at the GOP bench. They have some (relatively undistinguished) governors, one movie-star governor who can’t run, and Guliani who is probably too liberal for the primaries.
A.L.
To consider Rice as Sec. of State is silly IMO, to consider her for a presidential race is scary.
What do she offer?
Qualifications: By all accounts extremely knowledgeable on the former Soviet Union. Not that there’s much use for that these days.
Experience: Mainly, acted as National Security advisor during one of the biggest failures of national security in our history. Followed by a 18 month period of infighting between state, DOD and CIA.
Frankly, I don’t see it.
I’ve been propounding the Hillary v. Condi presidential race for quite some time. I think they are both the most competent women in their respective parties.
Condi’s drawback is her lack of elective office. Hillary’s is her polarizing persona. I do however believe that either one would make an effective leader.
Condi’s major strength and trump card is her loyalty to Bush and to the neo-con ideology.
Competency is not her forte – remember that Condi admitted that she did not completely read pertinent intelligence reports and also admitted her error concerning the fraudulent allegations of aluminum tubes.
If she is anointed to head the State Dept., her primarily responsibility will be to purge it of officials disloyal (that means treasonous in Bush-speak) just like Potter Goss is doing at the CIA.
Premature congrats to Condi on her well deserved promotion.
“Fifty years ago, she would have been stuck bearing their illegitimate children.”
If Bobby Byrd and his hooded buddies didn’t lynch her first.
AL –
regarding the GOP’s “undistinguished governors”, well, it didn’t seem to slow them down much nominating George, did it? I don’t think Jeb in 2008 is that far-fetched.
Well, A. L., McCain, Giuliani, Frist, Powell, and Owens all seem like possibilities to me. Note that Powell qualifies under the “war hero” clause.
Marc,
In an otherwise good, but almost throw-away post, you toss in the the slanderous, and unsupported statement, “And how interesting it will be to listen in on some of the more Paleozoic Republicans as they get their heads wrapped around the notion that she might bear their standard.”
What, are we now classifying as Republican the Nat’l Socialists, the Robert Byrd Dems or any fringe whacko to the right of that idiot Pat Buchannan?
C’mon, unecessary cheap shot wasn’t it?
Mike
Mike, you’re a bit right, in that it was an unsupported slur, and a place where I went for a clever phrase at the expense of a meaningful one.
But…given the history of the Southern Strategy, the reality is that the last political home of the white race-baiters (as opposed to the black ones) is the GOP. The more pertinent fact that they are not a significant factor is borne out by her appointment.
A.L.
I’ve been a major fan of the idea of a Condi-Hillary matchup in 2008, but unfortunately, I think that’s barely one step more likely than seeing the two of them run on the same ticket. :-/ First and foremost, Condi has said–convincingly–that she doesn’t aspire to the top job. (Hillary, of course, has said no such thing.)
Also, I don’t buy the assertion that Hillary would have no chance in the general election. Her negatives could be countered. More than one career has been ruined by unwisely underestimating the Clintons. If Condi runs against Hillary and loses, the inevitable questioning amid the GOP would revolve around whether Hillary was good or Condi simply wasn’t up to the task, with the obvious implication that the GOP should forget about such atypical moves thenceforth and run another endless stream of southern WASP’s.
I think that Guiliani/Rice v. Clinton/Bayh is much more probable assuming nothing changes dramatically in the political market. Formidable tickets, no? Wouldn’t you just love to see a Clinton v. Guiliani debate?
Just a small quibble. 50 years ago southern racists were Democrats. After these right-wing bigots were burned by the Democrats and the civil rights movement, the Rebublican party opened their arms to them, quite like the Democrats opened their arms to the far left wackos. The Republicans fought hard to avoid these prejudices from being institutionized, to the point where they are now the tolerant party (tolerant of beliefs, descriminate towards outcomes). The Democrats, on the other hand, are fast becoming the party of institutionalized bigotry.
Marc,
From GlennReynolds.com at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6497339/#041115,
“I’m reminded of this interesting bit from Bush’s surprise trip to Baghdad last Thanksgiving:
Bush slipped away from his home without notice Wednesday evening with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, both of them disguised with baseball caps. Bush told reporters that they looked like a “normal couple.” Bush then flew to Washington to pick up aides and a handful of reporters sworn to secrecy.
The white President and his black female National Security Advisor, looking like a “normal couple.” And, of course, they did. There was a time, not so long ago, when not many people would have imagined those words coming unconsciously from the lips of a Republican President from the South. (The Democratic Party still thinks we live in that time, which is one reason why it lost the election.)”
The Dems, not the Repubs, are the ones with the out of date racial attitudes.
Mike
Much as I think that matchup would be great in multiple ways – including being lots of fun to watch – one practical issue:
Much of the political currency for would-be Republican presidential candidates is made up of support for local parties and campaigns. Time spent on the rubber-chicken fund raising circuit, time spent stumping for state level or congressional candidates. That builds the local support that turns into GOTV efforts when the primaries roll around. Not the only way to do it, but take a look back at the nominees and their activities in the 2 – 3 years before they ran.
It’s going to be pretty hard for Condi to do that, given the travel schedule of the SOS, and the problems about anything said from the podium being construed as official statements. OTOH, I can think of someone who has just opened up his schedule to take this on, if it’s his desire. Rudi is also on the loose – so far.
(Memo to Command Post: Your troll is loose again, and is fouling the sidewalks. Please remember the leash laws.)
Interestingly enough, around 90% of African Americans vote for Democrats despite these racial problems.
Hillary will never be president. No liberal woman – least of all Hillary – anywhere has been able to put together a persona that would convince voters they’re fit to lead the nation in war.
Condi’s problem is she’s cold. One of Bush’s greatest assets is his personal warmth. Condi is someone you can admire, but never feel like you know her. That’s a big disadvantage, just ask John Kerry.
Actually it’s more interesting to watch the reactions of condescending leftists at the realization that the most powerful black woman in America repudiated their plantation mentality ages ago.
The choice of Condi isn’t surprising, though she doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of experience or demonstrated skill in diplomacy. That’s not a problem in the administration, since the Pentagon seems like more the primary player in external relations now. And Madeline Albright set the bar so low, it’s hard to see how anyone can argue that Condi’s not qualified. Would it be unfair to argue that the decision indicates that we won’t see any great change in the way we conduct diplomacy now?
As for Condi as presidential-candidate, that seems like a big stretch. I haven’t heard of her having any powerbase within the pub party, and it’s not like there won’t be a ton of people who want the presidency in 2008.
_Fifty years ago, she would have been stuck bearing their illegitimate children._
The individual you are mentioning was a Democrat 50 years ago.
I doubt that there are any significan number of “Paleozoic Republicans” who would have difficulty getting “their heads wrapped around the notion that she might bear their standard” except that she might not be the best candidate lacking any electoral experience. That’s why she should have stayed at NSC, and run for Governor of California as soon as the Governator steps down. Her problem is that may not be any time soon. A run against DiFi would be good experience politically but being a Senator is not for moving into the Presidency. At 50, she’s still young but the Governator is blocking her timetable.
Well, she may not have a ‘power base’, but she’s got tons of grass-roots support.
I see tons of people who say, “I would love to have her run, but I don’t know if enough OTHER people would support her”. Support that doesn’t know how big it is.
I’d love to see Hillary vs. Rice.
I think…
Dave:
I haven’t seen evidence of a lot of grass roots support for a presidential run by Condi, but I may have missed something. What are your sources for that claim?
Ach! Last message from dingo for Dave. Confused by boxes again….
Forget this blather about Condi versus Hilary in 2008 – that is pure speculation.
Noting the real problems confronting this country and noting that Americans have major difficulty dealing with reality (despite all of the evidence a significant portion of the US population still believe that S.H. was involved in 9-11, that WMD’s have been found, etc.), I think we should all focus on the real problems before us and leave the dreaming to the RNC and DNC and banal pundits.
Repeat after me – “cognitive dissonance”.
Granted, a Hillary vs Condi contest seems improbable at this time. Still, if the Democrats nominated Hillary, which is a real possibility, the Republicans would have to at least give serious consideration to nominating a woman. And that puts Condi on the short list…
“The Dems, not the Repubs, are the ones with the out of date racial attitudes.
Mike”
Yeah. Thomas Sowell would sign that sentence.
Joel Català
I would love to see Dr. Rice become President of the United States not because I love her political ideology–far from it–but because it would help to eliminate the racism that plagues the United States. Too many white Americans still are opposed to desegregation. Too many white Americans even fear a black neighbor moving next door to them. With a black president, and even better a black woman president, people who continue to promote those racist ideas would be outcasted from American society.
It’s About Time!