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To deal first with the obvious: Rice may be “only” the second woman and the second African-American to be Secretary of State, but she is indisputably the highest-ranking black female official ever to have served in any branch of the United States government. Her nomination to a constitutional executive office would cost McCain the votes of his party’s hardened racists and incorrigible misogynists. They are surely fewer in number, though, than the people who would like to participate in breaking the glass ceiling of race or gender but, given the choice, would rather do so in a more timid way, and/or without abandoning their party. And with Rice on the ticket the Republicans could attack Clinton or Obama with far less restraint.

By choosing Rice, McCain would shackle himself anew to Bush’s Iraq war. But it’s hard to see how those chains could get much tighter than he has already made them. Rice would fit nicely into McCain’s view of the war as worth fighting but, until Donald Rumsfeld’s exit from the Pentagon, fought clumsily. And it would be fairly easy to establish a story line that would cast Rice as having been less Bush’s enabler than a loyal subordinate who nevertheless pushed gently from within for a more reasonable, more diplomatic approach.

Rice is already fourth in line for the Presidency, and getting bumped up three places would be a shorter leap than any of the three Presidential candidates propose to make. It’s true that her record in office has been one of failure, from downgrading terrorism as a priority before 9/11 to ignoring the Israel-Palestine problem until (almost certainly) too late. But this does not seem to have done much damage to her popularity. In a Washington Post-ABC News poll taken when opposition to the Iraq war was approaching its height, she enjoyed a “favorable-unfavorable” rating of nearly two to one. The conservative rank and file likes her. Though she once described herself as “mildly pro-choice,” she is agile enough to complete the journey to mildly pro-life. And she is a preacher’s daughter.

Choosing Rice would be a trick. Her failures would be buried in an avalanche of positive publicity for a personal story as yet only vaguely known to the broad public. (One of the little girls who died in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing was her playmate? We didn’t know that!) But the trick would not be an entirely cynical one. Her ascension, though nowhere near as momentous a breakthrough as the election of Obama or Clinton, would be a breakthrough all the same. In this connection, a kind word for George W. Bush may be in order. By appointing first Colin Powell and then Rice to the most senior job in the Cabinet, a job of global scope, Bush changed the way millions of white Americans think about black public officials. This may turn out to the most positive legacy of his benighted Presidency. ♦

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Originally posted by WhoDied:

What about McCain and Colin Powell?



--WhoDied


_______________________

"What if I don't wanna be a part of the team?"

"Oh, no, that won't be an issue. See, you and I are gonna get along very well. Moist towelette?"

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
How about McCain/Ron Paul?

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Originally posted by fredgiblet:
How about Obama/Clinton...no not that Clinton, the other one.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
I really like Condi.
Much like Fred Thompson, who'd have made fantastic President

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Originally posted by Kirkules:
I would love to see Condi run

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Originally posted by fredgiblet:
I just saw something funny but its not worth starting a whole thread for. It was an old bumper sticker that said "Bush in 04 = Hillary in 08"

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by Kirkules:
I would love to see Condi run

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Well, I'd love to see her run, problem is at some point she'd stop- I want to see her k e e p on running, far away...

*snicker*Chrisisall

"I supported Bush in 2000 and 2004 and intellegence[sic] had very little to do with that decision." - Hero, Real World Event Discussions

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
Not sure you can do "the other one." Something about Constitutional Succession saying that a President can only be elected to two full terms, or some such.

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Originally posted by Veteran:
Huckabee was gunning for the job. Do you think McCain might choose him to placate Southern Conservatives?

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Originally posted by Hero:

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Originally posted by Veteran:
Huckabee was gunning for the job. Do you think McCain might choose him to placate Southern Conservatives?

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Its unlikely. McCain needs to choose someone to placate all the conservatives. Huckabee gets him some, Romney gets him the rest, neither gets them all and both alienate the ones they don't get, all of whom are not happy with McCain.

More likely they'll cut a deal with Huck for convention time, a place in the cabnet, support for a Senate run (although he says he does not want that).

H

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
[B}As for Conservatives, McCain should just ignore them. They will ALL cave in anyhow and vote for him in November...as they ultimately have no other choice; they 'aint gonna vote for Hillary or Obama. I think his perfect VP choice would be Joe Lieberman....

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Originally posted by Hero:
.....Its unlikely. McCain needs to choose someone to placate all the conservatives. Huckabee gets him some, Romney gets him the rest, neither gets them all and both alienate the ones they don't get, all of whom are not happy with McCain.....
H

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Jongsstraw wrote:

...I don't agree with that. McCain should NOT kowtow to the Conservatives at all. He needs to stay or move more to the center and broaden his appeal to independents and moderate Dems....

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Originally posted by Kirkules:

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Originally posted by Jongsstraw:
[B}As for Conservatives, McCain should just ignore them. They will ALL cave in anyhow and vote for him in November...as they ultimately have no other choice; they 'aint gonna vote for Hillary or Obama. I think his perfect VP choice would be Joe Lieberman....

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Does this mean McCain still has a chance of getting your vote, or are you excluding yourself. You're correct that conservatives that vote will vote for McCain, but choosing Huckaby or Lieberman would cause many to just stay home on election day.

The VP's only purpose is to deliver votes in States the candidate can't win on his own. I think McCain can win Florida, so that takes Crist out of the running. Lieberman might draw enough independents and conservative Dems to offset the Republicans that stay home, but why take the chance. Lieberman is a lock for Secretary of Defense in a McCain administration.

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Originally posted by Veteran:
Ok. Condi doesn't want it

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
How about McCain/Ron Paul?

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Originally posted by Hero:

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Originally posted by Veteran:
Ok. Condi doesn't want it

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I believe that she does not want it, but if asked she will serve. She always has.

The fact that she can do the job but is not seeking the job merely adds to her credibility,

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